The new musical adaptation of Kenneth Grahame’s much-loved literary classic ‘The Wind in the Willows’ is bound for London’s West End this year following a hugely successful tour. Full service technical production company Hawthorn was called upon by producer Jamie Hendry to provide the lighting equipment for the initial performances of the ambitious production, with the company now supplying kit for the show’s London Palladium season.

For the tour, Hawthorn supplied lighting from its extensive hire range to meet the specification of award winning lighting designer Howard Harrison. This included 24 Clay Paky Sharpy Wash, 52 ETC Source Four LED LUSTR2 Profiles and 28 Martin MAC Viper Performance fixtures. The vast rig also features 20 of Hawthorn’s ColorForce 72 LED Battens and sixteen Robe BMFL moving lights.

“It’s a big show with a lot of scenery and a large lighting rig,” says Howard Harrison, the show’s LD. “With it being such a technically challenging production, it was important to get a supplier who was a ‘good fit’. It was my first time using Hawthorn and it was a great experience. The equipment arrived very quickly and it was all in excellent shape. The backup from the Hawthorn team was brilliant and I look forward to working with them again in the future.”

Featuring a script by Oscar-winning screenwriter and Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes, The Wind in the Willows is a wild tale about the thrill-seeking lovable menace Mr Toad. Played by comedian and TV presenter Rufus Hound, Toady is joined by Ratty, Badger and Mole as the crew embark on a series of adventures caused by his insatiable need for speed.

Hawthorn worked closely with senior production electrician for the show, Chris Mence. “Hawthorn created a great environment for our prep, there was always someone on hand to help and we felt really looked after,” comments Mence. “The equipment supplied was in great condition, clean and well prepped and the great service continued on site and throughout the project. I look forward to working with the Hawthorn team again on the next project.”

The production will start a limited season at the London Palladium in June 2017.

It’s been a busy time for the Hawthorn’s expert hire team, with a vast number of productions using its lighting kit. This includes Sister Act, directed by Craig Revel Horwood and starring Alexandra Burke, Little Shop of Horrors and West End hit, The Libertine.

Mark Burnett, business development manager at Hawthorn, said: “It’s fantastic that we’re continuing to further bolster our position within the theatre sector. We’ve invested over £3million in our stock inventory during the last 12 months, continuing to demonstrate our commitment to providing our expanding client base with the very latest lighting technology. We have an expert team who pride themselves on their high level of customer service. From pre-production prep through to closing night, we’re on hand to provide the best possible technical support for our clients.”

Open seven days a week, Hawthorn is one of the largest independent technical event equipment suppliers in the UK, with a huge state-of-the-art range available for hire, from lighting, sound and video to staging, power, rigging and drapes.

www.hawthorn.biz