Robe’s DL series continues to impress theatre and performance venues … with the
Kungliga Dramatiska Teatern (Royal Dramatic Theatre) in Stockholm recently
investing in DLS Profiles.

The theatre, that produces over 1000 works a year across eight dynamic
performance spaces, is the national theatre for spoken drama and was founded in
1788 and has occupied the current, majestic art nouveau building designed by
architect Fredrik Lilljekvist on the waterfront at Nybroplan since 1908.

The theatre has many claims to fame including legendary Swedish director Ingmar
Bergman who was its Creative and Managing Director 1963 – 66 and directed
numerous ground-breaking productions there. The Big Hall has a capacity of 720
and the Small Stage of 340, with both constantly busy producing and receiving
shows along with the other stages.

The Small Stage (Lilla scenen) has recently purchased five Robe DLS fixtures,
specified by Small Stage Head of Lighting Jim Rasmussen, and these fixtures join
another six in use around the other stages.

The Small Stage is known for producing classic dramas and new and experimental
works and the DLS Profiles were bought specifically to replace other – competitor
brand – moving heads.

The lights were selected for their silent running, framing shutter system and smooth
colour mixing. “There was not a huge choice of fixture that is strong in all these
criteria,” confirmed Jim.

Ambient noise levels in the venue is a serious issue because of its low ceiling
height. The space is in a second – adjacent – building formally a cinema, acquired
by the Dramaten in 1945 and completely renovated in 2000.

Jim was already aware of Robe from his freelance work before joining the theatre
in 2008 and also has used LEDWashes on rental for the Small Stage, however it was
profiles he needed to replace.

The DLS Profile was originally suggested by a rental company, after which he
watched the DL range product video online and was impressed. “It is versatile and a
neat size,” he said.

Since their installation, the DLS Profiles have proved extremely useful in multiple
scenarios.

The venue’s standard set up is for four or five productions to run simultaneously in
rep, rotated daily, necessitating very quick set-ups and tear downs. They also stage
concerts, poetry and spoken word performances, so very often no noise is a MUST!

With the DLS Profile in place, these changeovers are almost instantaneous. The
lights are also really handy for “specials’ and key lighting.

Jim thinks that LED still has “Some way to go’ before it beats tungsten in terms of
dimming curves, colour and colour temperatures, but says the DLS goes a long
way towards addressing all of this. He adds that the DLS profiles match in very well
with their existing primarily tungsten sources, which include fresnels, Svobodas,
PARs, ACLs and raylites.

Jim works with a lighting crew of six on the Lilla scenen and a wider crew of 19
technicians. The house console is an ETC Cobalt.