There are many facets to delivering a show-stopping performance. There’s singing, dancing, costumes, dialogue, scripts, music and, of course, lights.
Now, imagine a show with just music and lights.
Kate Bonney, lighting designer at the Enchanted Forest has created a truly magical experience for thousands of visitors to Faskally Wood just outside Pitlochry.
Kate comes originally from Forres and her love of lights came from youth theatre.
She said: “At school, I was good at art and technical drawing. I wanted to be a graphic designer, so I got involved with amateur dramatics, designing posters and tickets.
“Then, when I was 16, I decided I didn’t want to sit at a computer every day. I’m more of an ‘up a ladder’ kind of person. I went to the Scottish Youth Theatre and worked with a professional company. I knew then that lighting design was what I wanted to do.”
Kate studied at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland then went on to work as a venue technician, before becoming a self-employed lighting designer, working all over the world.
The Enchanted Forest had been on her radar for a number of years and she became involved with the event 10 years ago.
“I did a spot of technical work for them and just fell in love with it. The whole premise is amazing – to bring people into the woods and ask them to look up. I think that is just magic. If you think about it, you tend to look at your feet when you’re walking in a forest, so looking up is a whole different experience.”
In 2010, Kate began assisting the lighting designer, Simon Wilkinson, before taking the helm in 2013.
“It was such a great way to learn and build up to doing it myself, having watched it grow and grow. I was itching to get my hands on it,” she said.
The process of creating the show is worked on all year, starting with a concept then working through to placing the lights and going out into the forest in the dark to start practising.
Kate said: “Once the lights are on and working it’s a bit of a ‘phew, everything’s going to be OK’ moment.
“The next stage is to start syncing the lights with the music.
“We start switching the lights on and off to the rhythm of the music. It’s a bit like being a choreographer. There’s a lot less technology than people realise. It’s a lot more human than that.”
This year’s Enchanted Forest theme is called Elemental and, for inspiration, Kate has looked to fire, water, ice, wind and lightning.
“It needs to be magical for both children and adults. I focused a lot on making the forest feel otherworldly to make it extra special for children.”
For anyone considering a career in lighting design, Kate has some simple advice: be creative, flexible and, above all, a team player.
“You cannot do this job on your own,” she said.
“Also, get involved, find people doing it, ask to join them and learn. You pick up so much this way.
“It’s a really exciting and rewarding career and I can’t imagine doing anything else.
“Being able to see the work you have created have an effect on people is something you can’t beat. Seeing people’s eyes light up when they watch a show is just magic. It’s amazing being able to say that we did that. That’s what it’s all about.”
The Enchanted Forest runs every night until October 26. For further information visit www.enchantedforest.org.uk