Vari*Lite lighting fixtures were prominently used in the lighting design of a bespoke stage created for Kylie’s Aphrodite-Les Folies Tour 2011.
Lighting for the show was designed by Nick Whitehouse with Steven Douglas touring as lighting director. Featuring close to 600 light sources, the stage lighting design relies heavily on Vari*Lite fixtures including 84 x VL3500 Wash lights, 84 x VL3000 Spot lights, 4 x VL3500 FX lights and 30 x VL500 lights.
The VL3500 washes were chosen for their exceptional versatility and extreme brightness. According to Steven Douglas, the two VL3500 Wash light fixtures were used with a variety of internal and clear external lenses. In addition to the rich colours, the VL3000 has a great selection of gobos, making it suitable for a show of this magnitude.
Steven adds that the VL500 fixtures were chosen for their beam angle. The low profile and compact lighting fixtures take up very little space in front of the projection screens.
With a production valued at over US$25 million, Kylie’s Aphrodite-Les Folies Tour 2011 features over a million moving parts, including 30 high impact water jets, rain curtains and fountains as well as nearly 600 light sources. The $10 million bespoke stage is one of the most technically advanced, complex and precision stages ever created for an arena tour.
Highlights of the stage lighting design using Vari*Lite lighting fixtures:
- VL500 fixtures are mainly built into the set piece that resembles a Roman amphitheatre
- Three VL500 fixtures are inset into the header piece of black projection screens between the columns
- 12 VL500 fixtures are situated on the floor
- Four VL3500 FX fixtures are housed in a custom-made rack, which can be wheeled in for special backlighting to create a silhouette effect on stage
Vari*Lite lighting fixtures are available from
Jands, a leading Australian distributor of professional lighting systems as well as sound and staging equipment.
