White Light hits a dramatic crescendo at Longborough Festival Opera

Nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds, Longborough Festival Opera is renowned for its intimate setting, visionary programming, and commitment to artistic excellence. This season featured four ambitious new productions: Il Barbiere di Siviglia, Dido and Aeneas, Pelléas et Mélisande, and Wahnfried: The Birth of the Wagner Cult. Working in close collaboration with acclaimed lighting designer Peter Small, the festival marked a significant milestone this year, as he became the first designer to light the entire season, bringing a unified creative vision to a diverse repertoire. Small then approached White Light (WL), a d&b solutions company, to supply his lighting rig for the full season.

Peter’s approach was rooted in delivering quality and consistency across a technically demanding schedule. With productions rehearsing and performing in rapid succession, the lighting design had to be both flexible and precise. This consistency came from the team Peter works with regularly and had specifically assembled for this season. Each production presented unique challenges, and Peter had to creatively adapt each one using the same rig, while customising his design. Working with a brilliant LX team meant they were able to look at requirements for all the productions and find holistic ways to execute the lighting design, saving materials and time.

Pelléas et Mélisande, described by Peter as “entirely driven by light,” featured dancers manipulating practical light sources live on stage, with integrated LED lighting hidden within scenery and wireless fixtures creating ethereal effects. Working with Director Jenny Ogilvie, the lighting R&D phase was paramount to the success of the show, and WL was also key in recommending fixtures that would enable the overall creative look and feel. Peter comments: “The onsite LX team including James, Charlie and Ben did a fantastic job too and contributed massively to the success and smooth running of the show.”

One of the season’s most memorable lighting moments came during Pelléas et Mélisande, when Mélisande, dressed in white, drifted across the stage on a swing under a soft golden-grey glow from a hidden light source. In a striking final scene, Peter used rare sodium lights, borrowed from the Barbican, to bathe the stage in monochromatic orange, rendering the surrounding colours black and white. Mélisande, illuminated in full colour by tungsten light, appeared to radiate life as the characters around her shifted from grey to vibrant hues. This bold, poetic use of light transformed the atmosphere and underscored the emotional climax of the opera. The result was a visually rich experience that earned critical acclaim, including praise from The Guardian.

Meanwhile, Wahnfried demanded a dramatic, shadowed palette and rich earthy tones to match its intense themes, while Dido and Aeneas, and Il Barbiere di Siviglia leaned into warmth and naturalism, supported by a carefully curated mix of tungsten, LED and arc sources. Across all four productions, WL’s equipment enabled rapid changeovers, high-fidelity lighting, and creative flexibility, crucial in a repertory season where operas transitioned with minimal turnaround time.

WL supported this vision by providing a wide range of equipment, from tungsten TW1s and Svobodas to Martin Mac Viper DX washes, ETC ColorSource Cyc, Elation SixPAR 200IP,  enabling Peter and his team to craft distinct atmospheres for each opera while maintaining a cohesive technical infrastructure.

“WL’s support was platinum standard,” said Peter Small. “Their extensive inventory, from specialist tools to vintage fixtures, enabled me to fully realise my creative vision. Whether it was beam benders, bespoke rigging, or seamless logistics and budget management, their expertise helped us deliver a technically complex season with confidence and flair.”

Stuart Porter, WL’s Business Development Manager, comments: “We’re proud to add Longborough Festival Opera to the growing list of prestigious opera festivals we support across the country. It’s always a pleasure collaborating with Peter, as his creative vision and ability to blend vintage and modern equipment make each project uniquely inspiring. Working closely with Peter allows us to tailor our support to meet both artistic and technical demands seamlessly.”

As Longborough continues to push boundaries in opera production, WL is proud to be a trusted partner by bringing technical excellence, creative collaboration, and storytelling to the stage.

Lighting Designer: Peter Small.

Production Electrician: James Smellie.

Programmer: Rohan McDermott.

Senior Technician Lighting: Charlie Mann.

Technician: Ben Oakley.

Image credit: Barber (Bright crowd scene) – Clive Barda.