Cameo shed light on new talent when The National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) took over London’s Southwark Playhouse Theatre with a three-musical run.
The NYMT features young adults between the ages of 11 and 23, carrying out extensive auditions before casting them in its productions. Over the years NYMT has featured future stars including Jessie J, Idris Elba and Jude Law. Its 2024 summer season included the musicals Into the Woods, Catastrophe Bay, and Our House. Three different lighting designers oversaw the lighting design, using a lighting rig consisting of various Cameo lights.
CatastropheBay | HarryElletson
As the three musicals were performed virtually back to back, the three lighting designers – Jamie Platt, Our House; Beth Gupwell, Catastrophe Bay; and Aaron J Dootson, Into the Woods – had to devise a common basic lighting rig that would work for all productions: from the fairytale musical classic Into the Woods to the folk musical Catastrophe Bay and Our House with its numerous scenery changes and up-tempo numbers.
IntoTheWoods | HarryElletson
The lighting rig included Evos W7 as wash moving heads and the Azor series with Azor S2 spot moving heads placed on the two rear trusses and Azor SP2 spot profile moving heads were used as front lights for gobo and aerial effects. Pixbar 400 IP G2 IP65 RGBW LED bars were used as backlights on the floor and in the rear wall. Platt said: “Whether as a classic rear wall light or for backlighting door openings, the PIXBAR 400 IP G2 really impressed me with its output and uniform lenses.”
OurHouse | CorinneCumming
“This project is different from most other productions,” said Gupwell. “The most important takeaway becomes giving young people the opportunity to get an insight into what we do and understand how a production of this kind works.” She believes the direct support from experienced colleagues is invaluable for young, up-and-coming talent: “I studied lighting and design, it's true, but I believe the in-kind support I was given outside of university was just as important. That's why I am interested in projects such as this one, in order to try to pass on my knowledge similarly.”
OurHouse | CorinneCumming
Platt said: “The NYMT is a fantastic platform for particularly talented young artists who are in no way inferior to their famous West End colleagues when it comes to passion, energy, and professionalism. Not forgetting all those involved backstage – the stage managers, musicians, and technicians, who also work here at the level of major musical productions.”
CatastropheBay | HarryElletson
The Cameo lights for the productions at the National Youth Music Theatre were supplied by Palmer Lighting, based in Eastleigh, Hampshire.
Top image: OurHouse | CorinneCumming