Blog  > Hire & Events Showcases  > Fantastic 50

Entertainer Ian von Memerty, has just closed his Fantastic 50 show which toured the country, and Magnetic Storm is proud to have been part of Ian’s extraordinary show.

Magnetic Storm creative services manager, David Limbert, is a respected lighting designer and was commissioned by Ian to design the show’s lighting.

David worked together with Ian on the creative concept for the production’s design, after which he created the lighting design and how to adapt it for each of the five venues.

On the inspiration for the lighting design, David says: “Fantastic 50 was primarily a show filled with song and dance, dotted with intimate segments where Ian and his wife, Viv, inspire audiences with stories about their personal lives and challenges. The design therefore had to accommodate everything from a bright, colourful ballroom dance medley to a small pool of light on a chair down stage, centre.

“Being able to create a large number of different looks and moods was aided greatly by the production decor, fabric drops created an outer perimeter to the stage. This fabric was great to light, and therefore with the use of LED wash fixtures used as up-lights, the fabric became an ever changing backdrop throughout the performance. ”

Touring through five venues across the country, each posed its own challenges and the lighting had to be adapted to suit each venue’s lighting equipment. As the production naturally progressed through the year, David and the team altered the design and lighting. “It was great to work on an evolving lighting concept for the production.” Comments David, “while the core of the show remained the same, there were a number of sections that swapped positions as Ian looked at how the production flowed and was received by the audience, this meant not only moving some lighting cues but also looking at the lighting transitions to ensure each section flowed smoothly into the next.”

Ian von Memerty adds: “Lighting sets the show mood and enhances the audience experience which is one reason why we invested specifically in this skill. I’ve worked with the Magnetic Storm team for many years and their professionalism, creativity and technical skill always amazes me.”

Initial discussions have already taken place regarding Ian’s next production, which will tour South Africa in 2016.