Theater de Bussel Invests in Robe T11s

A new installation of Robe T11 Profiles in the 200-capacity Small Hall at the Theater de Bussel in Oosterhout, southern Netherlands is helping to save electricity and enhance the scope of lighting shows and events there, explained the venue’s head of technical, Evelyn van ‘t Hof.

The 32 T11s are the first Robes in the house, and they are replacing a larger number of ‘conventional’ profiles and PC luminaires.

The T11 delivers excellent performance and flexibility building on the MSL™ (Multi-Spectral Light) colour concept, and Robe’s innovative TE™ technology. It has the outstanding colour finesse of the popular T-Series and a fast, interchangeable front lens system offering profile, fresnel or PC optics.

The new fixtures are part of a general drive to reduce energy consumption, an initiative shaping new investments in all venues across the Netherlands.

Adaptability was also a key consideration here, the program encompasses theatre productions, musicals, symposiums parties and assorted other performance genres.

Evelyn has been working at this busy producing and receiving house since 2008. The 450-capacity (700-standing) Main Hall was built and opened in 1984, then a major expansion in 2015 saw the edition of the Small Hall, and brand-new foyer space and a library.

Evelyn has always liked Robe products and been impressed with their quality and reliability – in particular T1 Profiles and 600E Spots – in the Main Hall for specific productions. Previously she worked in the Bibelot Poppodium at the Energiehuis in Dordrecht, which is where she first encountered Robe and got to know the brand.

Before making the investment at Theater de Bussel, Evelyn and the theatre’s lighting team looked at several possible options … and chose T11 as the best for their needs.

Features impressing them included the colour engine which everyone loved, together with the focus, the super-smooth dimmer curve – especially critical between 0 and 20 per cent – and the logical user interface.

For most of their own produced shows, the lighting design will be created in-house by Evelyn or her team, so they also looked at this investment from an imaginative perspective as well as to facilitate visiting company requirements. Typically, the Small Hall will stage a show or event 5 times a week, hosting local talent alongside professional shows, so there is a good mix of performances needing to be lit.

The T11s are installed on the overhead bridges with some currently loose for deployment around the stage floor. They are controlled through an OnPC console together with the rest of the stage lighting.

Taking about Robe more broadly, Evelyn thinks the Czech manufacturer has clearly focused on developing excellent theatre lights over the last 7/8 years in addition to fixtures that are great for concert touring, rental, and staging applications. “The products are all great in quality and Robe is innovative,” she comments. “We’re very happy with the fixtures and so are the many others now using them.”

Crucially, they reckon the 32 T11s are helping save around 50% of the electricity that was consumed by the lights they have replaced!

Photo credit: Louise Stickland.