As the theatre industry returns to more regular working, sound designer Ben Harrison is back behind the desk on a new UK touring production of the ever-popular Dolly Parton musical, 9 to 5. Playing in venues from Inverness to Southampton and Plymouth, the tour runs until March 2022 with new sound design from Harrison and a Rivage PM5 digital mixing system from Yamaha.
With a huge array of past credits – including Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Starlight Express, Evita, Fame, Hairspray, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Blood Brothers, Harrison’s choice of console for this tour neatly brings his past and present together.
‘I had shows going out with Yamaha desks for years – probably longer than I should have, but they were the systems I’d built my workflow around,’ he says, noting that everything he learned about digital mixing came from earlier experiences with Yamaha consoles includingthe PM1D and PM5D-RH. ‘Finally, with the advent of a Rivage PM5 at this price point and specification, I have the chance to revisit my roots.’
One of the advantages of returning to Yamaha is there has been no need for the production to carry extra outboard equipment. ‘All the plug-ins I use are built in and there are so many more new and useful features onboard to hone the mix,’ he says. ‘The way the Rivage PM5 can be easily configured to be dual operator is a huge advantage. The #1 Sound oOperator can be concentrating on perfecting the mix and following the score, while I can be working on various channels without being a disturbance. I can also wander around the auditorium using the StageMix app to remotely tweak on an iPad during production rehearsals.’
Aimed at those with an adult sense of humour, the upbeat show tells the story of three female workmates pushed to boiling point by their sexist, egotistical boss. With music written especially by Dolly Parton – including a theme song that sees the entire audience joining in – the tour’s early performances have been very well attended.
‘It shows that the public is very keen to get back to enjoying a fun night out at the theatre,’ Harrison says.
More: www.yamaha.com
