Lighting Designer Simon Trottet selected 25 Claypaky HY B-EYE K25 LED moving head washlights and 54 Claypaky Tambora fixtures for the stunning new production of Puccini’s “Turandot” at the Tokyo Nikikai Opera Theatre.
The new interpretation of the composer’s unfinished opera had its world premiere at the Grand Theatre de Geneve in Geneva, Switzerland last June, where Trottet is the Lighting Designer, and will play engagements worldwide. The immersive production, directed by Daniel Kramer, fuses music, lighting, lasers and projections to create a completely new look for the tale of the Emperor of China’s daughter.
“My aim was to unify the lasers, video and lights while producing powerful scenes to paint the space using smoke as a medium,” explains Trottet. The director collaborated with TeamLab and TeamLab Architec Japan, which were tasked with lasers, video and set design and made their operatic debut.
“The staging of ‘Turandot’ was particularly complex to achieve,” Trottet continues. “The set, weighing 7.5 tons and standing 8 meters high, rested on a 15-meter turntable and was made up of two huge semi-transparent boxes that seem to hang in the air. These boxes housed the 80 choristers, divided into two groups: women in the white box and men in the black box, each box filled with LED strips inside and out. A rock floated in milky water, also with LEDs, 50 lasers and video completed the set.”
Additionally, “on the other side of the set, a plexiglass and mirror triangle housed an LED wall covering the entire backdrop and divided into four parts to allow for different scenes,” he points out.
Trottet often relies on Claypaky lighting fixtures to deliver the look he needs for operatic productions. “I chose to work with Claypaky for [this] project, as they have always met my needs in terms of power and quality of light,” he notes.
For “Turnandot,” he wanted “powerful equipment that could sculpt space and saturate colors. It was crucial that these sources were perfectly calibrated to each other so that they could be mixed without being differentiated. In addition, the quality of color reproduction (CRI) was essential, as some of the lighting was used from the front. After testing many different brands of fixtures, I found that only Claypaky met all my expectations.”
Trottet utilized two large lines of Tamboras for backlighting (2 x 16) plus 22 more for side lights. To complement these sources. he placed K25s between the Tambora ramp lines and also in three-quarter facing positions to maintain a consistent color calibration between the different sources and to provide the necessary power to compensate for the LED videowall.
“As a lighting designer, being able to use K25 and Tambora projectors in large numbers allows me to achieve exceptional lighting quality in my productions,” Trottet explains. “I have been impressed with the reliability and quality of both products and have incorporated them into all my productions since I began using them.”
He finds that the K25s “have been particularly useful in meeting the specific needs of my projects, offering consistent power and color calibration. As for the Tamboras, their power and lighting quality have been invaluable in sculpting space and creating dynamic effects.”
Trottet calls Claypaky’s support for his productions “exemplary,” and reports that, “when I needed specific material for one of my productions, their representative in Japan was very responsive and professional. He quickly found and booked the equipment I needed, taking into account all the technical details. The Claypaky support team is extremely knowledgeable and professional and was always available to answer my questions and provide me with sound advice. I particularly appreciate their proactive approach: They always make sure that I am in the best possible shape for my productions.”
Trottet is convinced that Claypaky fixtures “will be a valuable asset to other lighting professionals” and says, “I am happy to recommend Claypaky for their excellent support and commitment to providing high quality products for the lighting industry.”