L’Eden goes LED with CHAUVET Professional

The Technical Director of Eden, Marc Brissonnet led the way in the initiative to convert it to an all LED system, inaugurated in 2018 by the City of Saint-Jean-d’Angély. The actual process started in late 2024 when the theatre installed eight Ovation Rêve E-3 colour rendering ellipsoidal fixtures and ten Ovation Rêve F-3 colour rendering Fresnels from CHAUVET Professional.

As a multi-disciplinary house, the performance venue hosts a wide variety of different types of productions, and Marc acknowledges that initially some touring companies were hesitant to perform under LED lights. Experience, however, taught them otherwise.

“Some companies came in with preconceived notions – concerns about coluor rendering, intensity, or beam quality,” said Marc. “But once they saw what the Rêve units could do, most of those doubts disappeared. LED technology has come a long way, and today we’re able to get excellent results across a wide range of applications.”

“An example is how the Rêve F-3s offer us all the flexibility we had with traditional fixtures, but with far better colour control, consistency, and energy efficiency,” continued Marc. “They’ve made our setups faster and more precise. Honestly, they’re a great replacement.”

Purchasing the Rêve fixtures was one of the steps Marc has taken to convert the venue to an all LED system. This year, l’Eden added six Maverick Storm 2 Profile fixtures and two Rogue Outcast 2X Washes to its house rig.

“The potential is already clear,” Marc said of the new fixtures. “Having motorized LED fixtures in the venue gives us a lot of creative flexibility. I’m glad that Chauvet offers IP20 fixtures, because IP65 is often unnecessary in venues like ours.”

Prior to embarking on his journey to an all LED system, Marc upgraded the theatre’s lighting capabilities by acquiring a ChamSys MagicQ MQ250M Stadium console. “We needed more universes to control our fixtures, and this console offered the right combination of features and price,” he said. “I had a solid introduction to the system via Rémy Rouvoy, while Victor Faré familiarized us with the lighting fixtures.

“Prisme Éclairage, who handled the integration and provided excellent support throughout the project also deserves a lot of credit,” continued Marc. “And of course, a big thank you to the Ville de Saint-Jean-d’Angély, since as a municipal performance venue, this kind of investment depends heavily on the City’s support.”

The investment is already paying dividends in a multitude of ways. One of which can be felt in the comfort level inside the theatre. Marc notes that there has seen a drop of about 7°C in the venue during the summer, which makes a real difference for both the artists and the audience.

“The space feels less stuffy and more pleasant overall,” he said.  “On top of that, the lighting quality is better, and the response from visiting productions has been encouraging… even from those who were initially hesitant about using LED!”