GDS Stage Manager Console Keeps Cast Up to Speed

	GDS Stage Manager at Cast in Doncaster, UK

The UK newspaper, The Guardian, reported in early 2014 that Doncaster's new "cultural living room," Cast, was a bustling, buzzing success story. Funded for the most part by Doncaster Metropolitan Borough Council this £22 million theatre and arts center was recently held up by The Stage as "a triumph of municipal good sense." Opened in September 2013, Cast replaces the town's old Civic Theatre, which closed in March 2013, with a 620-seat main space, adaptable smaller second space, and further dance, drama and meeting spaces. The development of the theatre is part of a wider £300 million scheme to regenerate the urban center of Doncaster and if the early evidence of its popularity is anything to go by, it stands every chance of vindicating the authority's bold move to pursue such a project in tough economic times.

Cast's vision was to play host to the widest possible remit of the arts. Music, theatre, ballet, children's shows, pantomime, and comedy were all to be catered for and therefore the task of equipping the venue with the most flexible technical solutions available would be of paramount importance. With this requirement for flexibility and adaptability firmly in mind, installers Northern Light commissioned two GDS Stage Manager's consoles (with CueSystem cue lights) to meet the needs of the different spaces and anticipated range of productions. The console which was to serve the main auditorium was naturally more feature-rich than the one for the smaller spaces since it would need to cater for greater complexity across a variety of productions.

GDS managing director, Matt Lloyd explained: "In developing the Stage Manager's console we wanted to respond directly to the needs of the operator and avoid a 'one size fits all' approach. The bespoke nature of the product means that it can be built to meet the specific needs of a given environment and do exactly what the stage manger wants, thus reducing the stresses and difficulties associated with what can be a very pressurized job."

GDS products are distributed in the US by A.C.T Lighting.

See GDS and A.C.T Lighting at PLASA Focus: Baltimore, May 8 - 9.