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REGIONAL ROUND-UP
AFRICA PULSE – CELEBRATING THE NDLOVU YOUTH CHOIR GEARHOUSE SPLITBEAM SUPPLIES A FULL TECHNICAL SETUP TO THE TOUR-READY THEATRICAL PRODUCTION. Finding international fame on America’s Got Talent in 2019, the Ndlovu Youth Choir performed its brand-new production, Africa Pulse – Celebrating the Ndlovu Youth Choir, on 1 May at Montecasino’s Teatro, Johannesburg. Conceptualised and produced by Showtime Management, the show draws upon the touching real-life story of the choir, many of whom are orphans who grew up without electricity or running water. With the full technical setup supplied by Gearhouse Splitbeam, the production is now set up to easily tour across the globe once travel restrictions are lifted and theatres reopen. “We’ve been fighting, pretty much like everybody else, to survive this pandemic mess we find ourselves in,” said Alistair Kilbee, Managing Director of Gearhouse Splitbeam and Technical Director for the production. “This was the first large-scale event Splitbeam had worked on, besides working
Af
on the Phantom of the Opera in Asia during the pandemic, and the first time we could get back into a theatre in over a year.” The show was made possible through funding granted by the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme (PESP) under the auspices of the National Arts Council, and while limited wages could be paid to each person on-site, Splitbeam pulled out all stops, generously supplying an abundance of equipment including an MA lighting grandMA2, Vari-Lite VLZ and VL3000 Spots, Robe lighting, Prolyte Trussing, Clear-Com FreeSpeak, and a DiGiCo SD7 amongst other gear. The project was initiated by Kilbee, who was stuck in quarantine in Taiwan when he heard about the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme. “I emailed Hazel Feldman, Director at Showtime Management, and suggested that we put on a show to try and get these funds to help crew and performers,” he described. With a week
to apply, Showtime’s Matthew Counihan, who also directed the production alongside Lesedi Job, and Splitbeam submitted their proposal. “The whole point of the production was to generate some income for people who hadn’t worked for a year,” said Kilbee. “They were so excited to be back. Everyone had a great vibe, and the general feeling was that of a family that had been brought back together.” With the Presidential Employment Stimulus Programme funding used to pay staff, proceeds from ticket sales were allocated to Noah’s Art, a theatre food parcel charity assisting the live events industry. While the show was a success in its own right, it was part of a much bigger plan. “We wanted to design and test a show that could tour internationally and as a result, we now have the riders, the technical specs, the Watchout files, the sound files, the lighting programming files, all of which will hopefully generate income for the
