Bellevue Theatre chooses Robe TX1 PosiProfiles

Bellevue Teatret (Bellevue Theatre) is located in Klampenborg, a desirable suburb north of Copenhagen, Denmark. Its scenic location is about 100 metres back from the beach, and stunning views from the front of the building overlook the Øresund strait.

Founded in 1936 and designed by architect Arne Jacobsen, the building is one of his seminal works – and one of several in the area – as well as an important example of Danish functionalism.

In the last year, the theatre has invested in more Robe moving lights, with the purchase of 12 TX1 PosiProfiles – the first to be installed in Denmark – joining their 24 LEDBeam 350s acquired in 2021.

The fixtures were chosen by production manager Bjarne Olsen and technical manager Martin Vive Rasmussen for their 746-capacity main house.

The Theatre – hugely popular with both the local community and a wider audience of theatre fans – stages four productions a year and is acclaimed for its family friendly content.

It hosts a variety of performances, including plays, musicals, dance shows, and concerts, and in addition to the Main House, the smaller stage – the Bar – is used for experimental and contemporary works.

Robe’s new TX1 PosiProfile operates either as a full moving head profile or as a static but repositionable profile which is ideal for being operated within very confined spaces or where crew access is limited or when movement options are severely limited or not required.

Typically, Bellevue Teatret shows will run 5 or 6 days of the week, and over the year, two out of four productions will be new and two will be re-runs of popular pieces, one of which has been revived for the last 42 years!

Martin, who has worked there for nearly 30 years, reckons he has operated lights over 1000 times for this show which is called Folk og Røver i Kardemommeby. He knows the cue list backwards!

The theatre, which features a spectacular opening roof which is great for the summer when guests can enjoy the stars above during the performances, received a complete refurbishment in 2001.

The theatre building which is privately owned has seen various lighting investments since then, the TX1 PosiProfile being the most recent. Before this, they would often rent in moving lights or specials as required by the show, but when the latest funding became available, the time was right to purchase.

“We strive to be as green as possible, so we wanted an LED solution,” stated Bjarne, “and the time was right to buy.”

Robe’s Danish distributors Light Partner arranged demonstrations and both Bjarne and Martin were super impressed by the white of the TX1.

Martin noted that it was the first LED light he’s used that can properly behave like a tungsten lamp, thanks to the superlative tungsten emulation. “The CRI is also great – it’s a brilliant light for theatre,” he declared.

He has just used the TX1s on the latest production of the long running “Skammerens Datter” for which he designed and programmed lights, and “thoroughly” enjoyed using the new fixtures. They were arranged in two rows, one above the front of the stage and the other upstage.

The LEDBeam 350s were delivered during the pandemic and replaced their previous LED wash products that had become old and worn out with the constant work.

Some LEDBeam 350s were first rented in from the nearby rental house The Live Company to make sure they were right for the job. “They are handy, you can fit them in anywhere and the output is perfect for this stage,” observed Martin.

And before the LEDBeam 350s, there were some original DLS fixtures from Robe’s first generation of LED theatre luminaires, so the brand does have a bit of a history there. In addition to that they appreciate the “outstanding” service from Light Partner.

Most recently, Light Partner has received a further order for Robe T11s, T2 Profiles and T2 FollowSpots, indicating that Bjarne, Martin and the team are satisfied with the brand and with Robe’s commitment to providing the choice of a whole range of lights for theatre and performance.

A grandMA2 is used for lighting control, and the five full time technical department multiplex and cover all departments, together with regular freelancers.

Bjarne visited the Robe factory in 2022 which he enjoyed. “It was great to see the precision and organisation that goes into the operation and also to hear about new ideas and future directions,” he commented.

Photo by Louise Stickland.