Lithuania’s Lėlė Puppet Theatre has completed a major technical refurbishment of its Grand Hall, placing a DiGiCo mixing console at the centre of an audio system mow able to accommodate complex and high-profile productions.
Situated in the capital of Vilnius, and sponsored by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Lithuania, the puppet theatre was established in 1977 in the restored house of Duke Oginsky. Its main performance space required an overhaul of the stage, lighting and sound, so the venue approached Sonus Exsertus to install an industry leading system, which included a DiGiCo SD12 for FOH.
‘Installing new technology in the main hall will help to ensure an even better quality of performance for theatre visitors,’ says theatre head, Vilmantas Juškėnas. ‘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, and stages well-known fairy tales and children’s literature by popular Lithuanian and foreign authors, as well as original drama productions. The theatre 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 €2.2m 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,’ says Juškėnas. ‘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 hosen for its 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, Sonus Exsertus Project Manager, Tomas Fabijonavičius, reports that upgrading the technology at Vilnius Theatre ‘Lėlė’ was not without its challenges: ‘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.’
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,’ Juškėnas says. ‘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.’
