DiGiCo At Centre Of Of New Vilnius Theatre "Lėlė"

Lithuania's renowned state puppet theatre has undergone a largescale technical refurbishment valuing over 2.2 million euros in its Grand Hall, selecting a DiGiCo mixing console to sit at the centre of a new audio system, with the aim of enabling more complex and high-profile productions.

Situated in the capital of Vilnius, and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the Lėlė Puppet Theatre was established in 1977 in the restored house of the distinguished Duke Oginsky. The theatre's main performance space required an overhaul of its stage, lighting and sound equipment, so the venue approached SONUS Exsertus, stage technology design and integration company, with the brief to install an industry leading system, which swiftly let to the selection of the compact, feature-filled DiGiCo SD12 at FOH.

"Installing new technology in the main hall will help to ensure an even better quality of performance for theatre visitors," said Vilmantas Juškėnas, Head of Vilnius Theatre "Lėlė". "The renovation will transform the creative possibilities of the venue, as not only will the Great Hall's new industry standard audio system provide much improved sonic results, the premium brands involved attract higher profile and more complex productions."

The baroque style Great Hall accommodates an audience of around 220, staging well-known fairy tales and children's literature by popular Lithuanian and foreign authors, as well as original drama plays. The theatre has a rich history and has been a participant in many international festivals, touring various countries, and performing plays in different languages such as English, Russian, Polish, German and French.

The renovation project is financed by the State of the Republic of Lithuania, under the coordination of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, in consultation with the Lithuanian Cultural Infrastructure Centre.

"The theatre management dedicates a special importance to the sound quality in the venue," Juškėnas said. "The new audio quality, with its depth, clarity of sound, and effects, is extremely important to us. Previously, it was only when we were on tour as guests in other venues with a higher grade of equipment that we could hear the "real" sound of the performance. It's great that we will finally be able to enjoy the same quality at the Theatre. We have moved to another level."

The Sonus team was appointed for its wealth of experience, having designed and implemented stage technology in many theatres and culture houses of state importance, including the Lithuanian National Drama Theatre, the Juozo Miltinio Drama Theatre, and the Vilnius Keistuoliai Theatre. However, Tomas Fabijonavičius, Project Manager at SONUS Exsertus, confirms that upgrading the technology at Vilnius Theatre "Lėlė" was not an easy task.

"The installation was made more complicated by the fact that the Theatre's premises are in the historical complex of the Oginskii Palace in the capital's old town and are protected by a covenant. Therefore, the sound equipment had to be implemented with minimal intervention. Also, removing the incumbent technology was not an easy task," explained Fabijonavičius.

The Grand Hall reopened at the end of August, marking the Theatre's 66th anniversary. "This year has been dedicated to upgrading the Great Hall so we can boldly embark on the autumn season of the repertory performances loved by our audience," concluded Juškėnas. "After several years of renovation work across the building, the theatre proudly boasts a Great Hall that lives up to its name, featuring state-of-the-art technical facilities."

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