PROFILE
Lettherebelights!
Words and main picture by Richard Pasco the follow-up smash High School Musical 2
in April 2009.
In addition to the highly successful stageOR those of you
shows he has produced, Andy has givenlucky enough to have
technicians first hand experience in allFhad tickets for the
aspects of the business - to give them the
career choices he never had. As Andyrecent production of High
says,“the aim was to produce shows of aSchool Musical at the Sundial
standard people wouldn’t expect to see at
this level and to develop the careers ofTheatre in Cirencester,or
students both performing and on thefor last year’s smash hit We
technical side of the industry.”Will Rock You,the
In fact the first person Andy trained was
Gary Bowman from Malmesbury, who isperformance will not have
now a highly successful lighting technicianpassed by without you
in the West End.
Additionally Andy is developing plansbeing in awe of the lighting
to produce a national tour in 2009-10and sound production,
which will take Tigz to the next levelgood enough to rival any
while giving new young talent the unique
opportunity to be involved in aWest End show.
professional show.The company behind the
Andy’s success story is being closelyproduction of both shows is Tigz
followed by a major lighting company inProductions,based in Cirencester and
the Czech Republic. Robe are one of thefounded by Lighting Designer Andy
main producers of moving lights and theyWebb,32, who has lived in reflected today in his stage productions.
have been supporting Andy over the lastCirencester most of his life and Television uses a lot of backlighting for
four years by featuring him in variousattended Kingshill School. dramatic effect and he was able to work
trade magazines.Together Tigz and RobeAndy had inspiration from those alongside Dave Davey who later went on
hope to move in on the West End market.early years as his tutor was ex-BBC to be design shows such as The X-Factor
When asked what shows he would likelighting director Spencer Mort. To say and Britain’s Got Talent.
to produce in the future Andy provides anhe saw the light may sound trite but It was while he was freelancing that
eclectic mix. “I would love to do Legallyhe was definitely pointed in the right Andy got the call from Cirencester
Blonde The Musical.Ihave an idea for adirection and found himself operating College to say they were about to build a
show based on the music of Aerosmithfollow-spots for pantomime shows at new theatre and would he help get the
which would make a great musical. Thethe Phoenix theatre and was designing space up and running.This year,the
ultimate goal would be having someonefour shows a year for them by the age Sundial, as the theatre was named, is set
write a brand new musical for us so weof 14. to celebrate its tenth anniversary.
would then own the rights.”“My three years at the Phoenix gave Tigz Productions was established in
Setting up his own professional lightingme a great opportunity to try new November 2006 to produce and design
design company was the naturalthings and gave me a fantastic both his own theatre productions and to
progression. Tigz provides lighting designgrounding in the business before I design lighting for professional theatre
for theatre productions,concerts,awardswent to Cirencester College to study companies.The name is in honour of his
ceremonies,balls and proms.After herdesign at A-level, and creating sets to favourite character from Winnie the Pooh.
involvement in both theatre productionscomplement my lighting and video His first production with Tigz was We
Andy now has a business partner,Juliatechniques course.” Will Rock You that was staged to prove the
Edwards who has a background in salesAfter finishing his college course he point that a professionally designed and
and marketing theatre productions in thewent to work at the BBC in London marketed show could produce a sell-out.
West End and together they want tofor six months.There was no defined Professional vocal coaches were brought
realise the potential of Tigz and carry itpath for his career back then and that in to give the young cast the full theatre
forward to new levels of production andis something he was determined to experience.
design for the live event market. They arechange for technicians under his The following year the pressure was on
joined by a highly dedicated design-basedtuition: to prove it again, and as Andy thrives on
production team of highly skilled“When I started out, the likes of the challenge it was inevitable that High School
technicians.BBC were in a state of change with Musical would be a runaway success.Tigz
Based on Andy’s determination andmore and more freelancers being was one of only three UK companies
drive plus his obvious love of the business,used. The BBC was no longer a job granted the rights to produce High School
success is just around the corner.for life” Musical.Assuming Disney release the UK
His stint with the Beeb allowed him rights in time,Andy is looking to produce
to learn the lighting skills which are
www.cotswoldessence.co.uk 57COTSWOLDESSENCE September - November 2008
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