The Gearhouse South Africa Group expands the dynamics and breadth of its portfolio with the launch of Gearhouse Splitbeam. This joint venture between theatre services supplier, Splitbeam and Gearhouse SA is an equipment and technical solutions provider for theatre productions country-wide.
For at least a decade, theatre productions have steadily grown larger and become increasingly technologically advanced, while the gap between traditional theatre lighting and the moving and digital lighting rigs now required for a production – has grown exponentially. Splitbeam meets these needs!
Alistair Kilbee, Splitbeam’s business development manager, believes that the collaboration between the two companies fills a much needed gap in the area of theatre lighting supply in South Africa. Until now, rental companies stocked the “wrong type of equipment at the wrong prices for theatre productions,” he states.
In addition to managing technical production services and requirements, Gearhouse Splitbeam benefits from a theatre-based and priced rental stockholding, serviced and maintained by the highly skilled and knowledgeable Splitbeam staff.
Kilbee joins the Gearhouse Group’s Bezuidenhout Valley HQ in Johannesburg. He has been managing Splitbeam for a number of years already, initially servicing lighting design and staffing requirements and later on, managing full production aspects; including the coordination of sound, lighting, rigging and set companies for a diversity of productions. His 18 years of theatre industry experience has proved invaluable in assembling the stockholding and expertise required for this very niche market.
His career began at Richard Loring’s Sound Stage in 1992 where he learned from some of South Africa’s leading theatre exponents, like Dennis Hutchinson, Simon James and Stan Knight et. al. His experience includes Technical Direction on theatrical hits like Fame – The Musical, The Merry Widow, Chicago, Rent, We Will Rock You, Beauty and the Beast, High School Musical and Cats, working extensively in China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Bangkok, Japan, New Zealand, Korea, UAE and Australia.”
“Apart from the latest moving lights and LED components, theatre shows have and always will require a core base of fresnels, floods, profiles, ‘top hats’, ‘half hats’, scrollers, gobo rotators, zip strips and cyc units,” he says. “We will start by supplying lighting and staff for theatre productions and long term rentals. Our initial focus is on ensuring that the quality of the service and equipment is the highest possible, and our longer term goals include expanding our stockholding to include rigging, sound and audio-visual elements.”
Gearhouse South Africa, Managing Directors Ofer Lapid and Nasser Abbas are equally enthusiastic. “This has been a long term dream of ours. Finally we can supply theatre productions with exactly what they need at very competitive prices via the perfect vehicle – I simply cannot wait.” enthuses Lapid
Contact Gearhouse Splitbeam on +27 (0)11 216 3000
www.gearhouse.co.za
For more press information on Gearhouse South Africa, please call Louise Stickland on +44 (0)1865 202679/+44 (0)7831 329888/[email protected]. To contact Gearhouse direct, call Robyn D’Alessandro on +27 (0) 11 482 8981/ +27 (0)83 607 3010 [email protected]. or check www.gearhouse.co.za
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