The Wind in the Willows the musical has had a riotous run at the London Palladium
produced by Jamie Hendry Productions and written by Julian Fellowes, Oscar-winning
screenwriter and creator of Downton Abbey, and the Olivier award-winning composer
and lyricist, George Stiles and Anthony Drewe, the show has been a sheer delight.
The production’s lighting designer, Howard Harrison, insisted on using two MDG
ATMe™ haze generators for this show. Harrison commented, “MDG is one of the super
companies I have always believed in. They produce very good high-quality products,
and I have used their machines for a very long time. In fact, I don’t think I have ever
done a musical in the West End without using them for as long as they have existed. I
am a big fan’.
He said, “The Wind in the Willows is a fun show, with beautiful sets and costumes, lots
of scenery and a beautiful theatre to work in. We use plenty of haze in the show, but
this was the first time I have used ATMe machines, and I was incredibly impressed by
them. It was like having all the good things of the older MDG machines but with the
benefit of new controls, where you can have precise control over the output, as
opposed to just switching it on and off.’
The ATMe machines were situated on perches downstage left and upstage right, from
where they were perfectly positioned to fill the stage with haze. The nature of The
Wind in the Willows which takes place on a river bank in the mornings and evenings
allowed Harrison to make perfect use of the haze to create the misty, watery,
atmospheric effects required. “One of the things I like about the machines is that they
produce a very fine haze, it never clouds up and only shows when you shine a light
through it, which is exactly what haze should be,’ says Harrison. “Actors and singers
are not panicked by volumes of haze because it is so fine. So, we can use a lot of it,
and they are not affected either physically or psychologically, which is a big help.
“Over the years people have suggested other haze machines to me which they believe
to be as good as MDG. I’ve tried them, but the reality is they are not as good. I am
keen to use the best haze, and always want the kind of haze that MDG produces. They
don’t compromise on quality.’
ATMe is an evolution of the industry standard MDG Atmosphere™ haze generator. It
has the added advantage of increased efficiency, with an identical power consumption
and footprint, but almost double the output. Built-in DMX/RDM control allows precise
remote control over the flow of the output from a fine haze, to a rolling fog all from
the comfort and convenience of the control desk. These haze generators are renowned
for producing the finest haze with the longest hang time and are extremely quiet.
