In real life – Phil’s long-awaited return to the Edinburgh Fringe
Next week Phil will be back at the sharp end of the lighting business, responsible for the technical design for a show at this year’s Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
As Power Gems’ director he heads the team that designs and builds our range of electronic ballasts. When you think about product design you might think of geeks with degrees in engineering. And yes, he has a PhD but Phil didn’t learn about lighting in the ivory tower of academia. In the years before swapping a lighting desk for a design desk he could often be found in the theatres of Manchester with a reel of gaffer tape in hand, and he still likes to don the obligatory black T-shirt and get into a performance venue when he can.
He told us: “The excitement of live performance sticks with you and I’m really looking forward to being involved with a show at the Edinburgh Fringe this year. With more than 120 lighting, video and sound cues in a 50-minute show, this one will be quite a challenge. Add to that, at the Festival you typically have 10 minutes to set up for your show!”
Phil will be helping transform the Merchants Hall on Hanover Street into an atmospheric space, as Venue 278 for the world famous Edinburgh Fringe. Working as a technician, operating equipment, he’ll be using the experience to inform how our products are designed – it’s good to get out of the research lab and into the real world.
Technical rehearsal
Love Thy Neighbour is an interactive one-woman show starring Clare Samuels, as seen on Channel 4’s Pioneer House, Oprah and Richard and Judy.
Performances are at 6.15pm every night during the three weeks of the festival; July 31 to August 25. Come and say hello.
