UK - The UK touring production of High School Musical continues to fill theatres. The production company for Disney Theatricals is the UK branch of Stage Entertainment, based in Amsterdam.

"We're in the enviable position of having had extremely high audience sales to date, typically mid to high 90's as a percentage. We're also seeing excellent pre booking for the next six months ahead," says company manager Eamonn Byrne, veteran of a long list of West End shows and musical tours.

"The tour, which started last Christmas, was originally scheduled to go out for six months but currently we're contracted until July '09. And I see no reason at the moment why it shouldn't continue well into 2010."

He continues: "Since I joined the company, the thing that's struck me most is the extremely high production values right the way across the board. The quality and size of the cast, technical departments, set, choreography and music is very impressive."

Sound designer Rick Clarke comments, "There were a number of challenges to designing the audio system. "Obviously, because it's on tour, it needed to be a very fast rig to set up and break down. So there are no delays, all sound is from the proscenium or an overhead cluster.

"But the biggest was really designing a system that could handle a show where the noise from the audience is routinely hitting 106dB at front of house, yet keeping the sound within sensible levels because it's a young audience. That is a very fine balance we had to strike. You want to keep some dynamic integrity in it, without being overly loud."

Supplied by theatrical sound specialists Orbital, Clarke specced a Yamaha PM1D console at front of house, with a d&b Q series PA. 32 Zaxcom head-mounted radio mics with DPA capsules are also utilised, while the nine piece band comprises two keyboards, two guitars, bass, drums, percussion, trumpet and sax. The PM1D supplies feeds to individual Aviom mixers for the musicians' monitors.

"In order to bring some subtlety to the piece while the 'story' is being told, I designed it to be mixed with a narrow sound spread for those parts, but then the mix goes much wider for the songs, where the audience is all joining in," says Clarke.

"Given the arduous tour, the console also had to be extremely reliable, so for me the PM1D was the only choice. And, of course, all the EQ and processing is built in, which helps to speed up installation and removal. The digital desk also means a smaller footprint, so the venues can sell more seats. You do actually get promoters ringing up, saying 'We've sold all the seats, can you move the sound desk?'."

(Jim Evans) (7 January 2009)

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