REPTON SCHOOL - THEATRE REFURBISHMENT
15 July 2011
Working for Charcoalblue Theatre Consultants and Wildgoose Construction, Hawthorn has recently completed the installation of specialist technical equipment in the 400 Hall Theatre at Repton School.
The challenge of the project was to create this facility within an existing building. The major aesthetic and structural transformations included removing the internal structural support system to allow the installation of a new extended proscenium opening.
Hawthorn installed lighting, sound, video, drapes and stage engineering into the modern horseshoe shaped theatre seating 300.
Specified equipment included:
Chilli dimmers, custom facility panels and IWBs both manufactured by Doughty to Hawthorn’s own bespoke design, manual winches, ladder bars, sound system and amplifiers, paging system and Stage Manager’s prompt desk.
Hawthorn re-installed the schools existing lantern stock and lighting control desk into the theatre as a cost saving measure.
Hawthorn also installed heavy duty curtain track and drapes, manufactured by their in-house specialist drapes department.
Robert Holroyd, Headmaster at Repton School, said “I am thrilled with the newly refurbished theatre. The auditorium has been transformed and is now a facility worthy of the professional quality drama that Repton's pupils are producing.”
To mark the hand-over of the theatre, Wildgoose held an event for sub-contractors and interested parties, at Repton School, which saw the students perform on stage. At the event, Jonathan Wildgoose, chairman of Wildgoose Construction, handed over a donation of £4,000 to the school's Passing It On project, including contributions from the two main sub-contractors on the build, Cass Electric and Hawthorn Theatrical Ltd.
Passing It On is aiming to finance educational projects and build schools in some of the most deprived regions of Africa.