In the spring of 1999 a member of Rackheath Players went to see a production of Ruddigore by the East Norfolk Opera Society (ENOS) and noticed that some of the lighting cues were a little late.
It was discovered that one person was attempting to not only man the lighting board but also operate the follow-spot. Never willing to see another company's production suffer, that member of Rackheath Players volunteered as a follow-spot operator.
Two years later and Rackheath Players were responsible for the design, rigging and operating the lighting for ENOS.
News of this "service" spread and the following years have seen Rackheath Players lighting the productions of Frettenham Theatre Group, Frettenham Festival, Horning Amateur Theatrical Society (HATS), Livewire Opera, Conical Productions, Great Hall Players, Bystanders Theatre, Firside Middle School and Funcky Dance Media as well as continuing with ENOS their own productions.
Venues were not confined to the north of Norwich with productions being staged in Central Hall, Wymondham, Wymondham High School, Queens Hall Watton, Aylsham High School, St. James Church Great Ellingham, Downham Market Town Hall, Frettenham Village Hall, Horning Village Hall, Wroxham Village Hall, Norwich City College, Norwich Playhouse, Maddermarket Theatre, Sprowston High School, Firside Middle School and St. Peter's Hall Norwich.
The involvement with HATS and, in the early years, ENOS involved hiring in lighting equipment from a company based some 26 miles away - and so Rackheath Players began using their own equipment.
The Players continue to run this service. Sometimes just designing and controlling the lighting and at other times providing a complete solution.
We must stress that the Players are not in the business of lighting hire and quite often do not receive payment for their services - although payment for expenses or a proportion of what would have been spent on lighting hire is always welcome - all precedes go to Rackheath Players.
So if you believe you have a requirement and that Rackheath Players could help provide a solution, please contact us.
2008 - Lighting for HATS
2008 - Lighting for ENOS Golden Jubilee year, Maddermarket - The Mikado
2008 - Lighting for HATS
2008 - Lighting for ENOS, Maddermarket
2008 - Lighitng for Firside Middle School
2007 - Lighting for Livewire - Wymondham, Watton, Aylsham & Norwich Playhouse
2007 - Lighting for ENOS, Maddermarket
2007 - Lighting for HATS
2006 - Lighting for Livewire Operatic Society - The Merry Widow - 4 venues - Wymondham High School, Norwich Playhouse, Watton and Downham Market
2006 - Lighting for HATS, South Pacific June 2006
2006 - Lighting for East Norfolk Operatic Society - The Gondoliers - Norwich Maddermarket
2006 - Lighting for HATS pantomime, January 2006
2005 - Lighting for Livewire Operatic -
Orpheus in the Underworld - Downham Market!
2005 - Lighting for Livewire Operatic -
Orpheus in the Underworld - Park Lane, Norwich
2005 - Lighting for Livewire Operatic -
Orpheus in the Underworld - Gt. Ellingham
2005 - Lighting for Livewire Operatic -
Orpheus in the Underworld - Wymondham
[note - these four events for Livewire were performed in four different locations in four consecutive weekends. Each event had very different lighting requirements!]
2005 - Lighting for HATS
2004 - Lighting for Livewire Operatic - Iolanthe -
2 nights Downham Market!
2004 - Lighting for East Norfolk Operatic Society
- The Zoo & The Sorcerer
2004 - Lighting for Livewire Operatic - Iolanthe - 2 nights Park Lane,
Norwich
2004 - Lighting for Livewire Operatic - Iolanthe
- 1 night Gt. Ellingham
2004 - Lighting for Livewire Operatic - Iolanthe - 2 nights Wymondham
[note - these three events for Livewire were performed in three different
locations in three consecutive weekends. Each event had very different
lighting requirements!]
2004 - Lighting for HATS - Wizard of Oz
2003 - Lighting for Frettenham Theatre Group - B.O.G.O.F
(Buy One, Get One Free)
2003 - Lighting for Livewire Operatic - The
Mikado @ Park Lane Methodist Church Hall
2003 - Lighting for Livewire Operatic - The
Mikado @ Wymondham Central Hall
2003 - Lighting for Frettenham Theatre Group - A Country Casserole
2003 - Lighting for East Norfolk Operatic Society - Pirates of Penzance
2003 - Lighting for Frettenham Theatre Group - Rumplestiltskin.com
2003 - Lighting for HATS - Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
2002 - Lighting for Norwich City College / Conical
Productions - History of the Devil
2002 - Lighting for East Norfolk Operatic Society - Iolanthe
2001 - Lighting and Sound for Frettenham Theatre Group - Three by
Two @ Rackheath
2001 - Sound for Frettenham Theatre Group (FTG) - Three by Two @ Frettenham
2001 - Lighting for East Norfolk Opera Society (ENOS) - The Mikado
2001 - Lighting and Sound for Great Hall Players - The Twelve-Pound
Look & Fumed Oak
2001 - Lighting and Sound for Great Hall Players (GHP)- The Aspern
Papers
2001 - assist with lighting for HATS - Old King Cole
2000 - assist with Lighting for East Norfolk Opera Society - Princess
Ida
2000 - assist with Lighting for HATS - Sinbad the Sailor
1999 - assist with Lighting for Horning Amateur Dramatic Society (HATS)
- Babes in the wood
East Norfolk Operatics Society performance of The Mikado
April 2001
