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Riedel Bolero and PunQtum digital partyline for Birmingham Royal Ballet

Based at the historic Birmingham Hippodrome, the Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) is one of five major ballet companies in the United Kingdom. Known for its intensive touring schedule, the company required a communication solution that could be deployed in a variety of venues. The solution came in the form of a PunQtum and Riedel solution, specified by UK distributor Autograph.

Prior to the upgrade, the production team were using a two-stage system, composed of a one- or two-channel hard-wired system and a Motorola radio system. “Depending on the venue, we often found that their hard-wired systems were far from being able to accommodate the size and complexity of our productions”, says Johnny Westall-Eyre, Technical Manager of Lighting/AV at Birmingham Royal Ballet. “That meant we had an in-house system we couldn’t rely on and that wasn’t maintained by us and our own Motorola system which only allowed for one person to speak at a time.”

Having made the decision to upgrade, Andrew Wilson, Head of Lighting & AV at Birmingham Royal Ballet, contacted Riedel Communications to learn about their solutions. “We were looking for an adaptable and flexible solution that would minimise risks of interference across channels and enable shows to be run in a safer and more efficient manner”, he explains. “It needed to be future-proof, multi-channel and easy to use, especially whilst the company is on tour across different venues.”

Riedel’s UK Sales manager Nacho Lee put Birmingham Royal Ballet in touch with their integration partner Autograph, who offered Wilson a solution combining Riedel’s wireless Boleros and PunQtum’s digital wired solution, catering for both team members in fixed positions and those who need to move around during production.

When it came to onboarding the new system, PunQtum’s digital wired partyline was reserved for team members who maintain a stationary position throughout the production. This included key team members such as the Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Manager, who also benefit from the reliability of a wired communication system in case of signal drop-out. On the other hand, hard-to-reach positions, such as Follow Spot Operators, were assigned wireless Riedel Boleros due to cabling limitations. During performances, there is no longer interference on the vital stage channel, a welcome relief for members of the Stage Management team.

The end result is better communication backstage and improved performances on stage. More conversations can take place between key players in the team. On the success of this project, William Cottrell, Technical Sales Engineer at Autograph, explains, “Birmingham Royal Ballet can plan their comms in advance and enjoy a level of consistency from one venue to another”.

(Photos: PunQtum/Riedel)

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