Exclusive Interview with Stephen Wickham

Exclusive Interview with Stephen Wickham – Lighting Designer of Candy Man & Technical Director of Entertainment for the Lyric Theatre at Star City

1) With the show Candy Man what was your inspiration for the design ?

“I wanted it to be reminiscent of a 60s TV show set which is why I chose to use cubes of light as a band stand. I also wanted the cubes or levels to each be of a different height and have a slightly random feel to the layout.”

2) What lighting equipment did you use ?

“Each level of the bandstand has an acrylic panel on the front which is lit from inside using a number of honeycomb LED lighting fixtures. These are very bright RGB LEDs that are DMX controlled. Other equipment is a combination of ETC Source 4 profile lights, 2K Fresnels and Par 64s. For the Sydney season I added 8 x DTS 700 wash moving lights and 14 x DTS 2000 moving spot lights. The show is controlled by a GrandMA 2 Console.”

3) With the light boxes on stage how did the concept come about ? and did you do any research ?

“I wanted the set to be able to change the mood in a simple but powerful way without using lots of moving lights in the overhead rig because I wanted a real 60s feel to the show and moving lights were not around then. The cubes of light used as a bandstand really help give the show that 60s feel but also give the stage life. I did some experimenting with backlighting the panels using various fixtures. The honey combs are not very subtle but they are bright and I can still get quite a few colour combinations to create different looks so I was happy with them for this purpose.”

4) Why did you get in to lighting design ?
“I was originally an art student and I loved the idea of painting with light. When you then put that painting with light to music (my other love) it is a very satisfying experience. I also believe that light is a source of life and I am interested in using colour therapy as a way of making people feel a certain way.  ”

5) If one of our readers were looking to get in to the industry what would your advice be to them

“ I would recommend doing a course in production lighting but more importantly going to every venue and trying to get a meeting with the Head of Lighting to see if you can get on the list of casual employees. You need to get work experience on as many different shows as possible and if you are keen to work and start at the bottom you can quickly learn and move up the ladder.”

6) What training have you done and what courses could you recommend to our members?

“When I started out there were no courses in this industry at all. I talked my way into it by helping out with a band that came to play at Art College. I went on the road with them and learned everything I could from experience starting at the very bottom. I operated follow-spots and then convinced someone to let me operate the main lighting console. I then worked as assistant to a designer who taught me so much about design. He eventually gave me a design of my own and this allowed me to call myself a lighting designer. It was then a case of approaching as many directors as possible and trying to get to design for them. After a while you build up a reputation and one job leads to another. Courses are good for basic knowledge but don’t expect to come out of college and call yourself a lighting designer. You need to get the experience on professional shows above all else first. I still think the best designers are those that have started as lighting technicians and have worked their way up through the industry.”

7) What’s coming up for you ?

“Candy Man is off to Melbourne next and I am working on a possible sequel to that. I am also Technical Director of Entertainment for the Lyric Theatre at Star City. You can see some of my design work at www.wickhamdesign.com.au”

Interviewed by: Trevor White –  © Copyrights 2010