LIGHTING at the newly refurbished Jersey Opera House is outdated, energy-intensive and considered “unethical” when used in a modern theatre, according to the findings of an audit.
The report, which was made public last month following a Freedom of Information request, assessed the theatre’s technical equipment which dates back to the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The Opera House is expected to open on Liberation Day this year following a £12.7 million refurbishment.
Some shows could be staged using the existing set-up but the lighting equipment heavily relies on older fixtures that consume large amounts of electricity, the audit found.
It read: “The current fixtures are perfectly capable of lighting a wide variety of presentations including drama, dance, opera, musicals, comedy, and conferences.
“However, most all of the fixtures currently in the Opera House stock are older style ‘conventionals’ that have a tungsten source that require hefty phase control dimming.
“[These are] hugely heavy on electricity consumption and regarded now as unethical when utilised in a theatre that has undergone a recent refurbishment. The eco credentials being completely incompatible with a modern requirement.”
While the report acknowledged the venue could operate on a temporary basis using the current system, it said this should only be viewed as a short-term solution and the building should switch to LED lighting.
It added: “If seen as a purely short-term remedial placeholder before the fixtures are replaced with ethical sources then of course the theatre could open and service a variety of shows needs. In today’s world, the transition to a more sustainable, energy-efficient future has never been more vital.”
The release of the audit comes after Deputy Lyndon Farnham told the States Assembly this year that the audit presented to ministers found the theatre’s technical systems were “usable and fully functional” and that the Opera House was “quite capable of staging shows” amid a row over the need for technical upgrades.
The States debate, prompted by a question from Deputy Montfort Tadier, followed an open letter from the Performing Arts Development Group which said that the Opera House – despite its almost £13m refurbishment – would not be usable for many types of show and required further investment.
Highlighting the audit report about the venue being able to stage shows, Deputy Farnham criticised the management of Jersey Opera House claiming they were “digging their heels in” and being unwilling to stage shows at the newly refurbished facility.
He said: “It is a huge disappointment that the current management are not prepared [to stage shows] and have put their heels in the ground and said they’re not prepared to do anything unless they get all of the new equipment – that’s very disappointing given the amount of taxpayers’ money that’s been spent.”
The Opera House’s interim director Andy Eagle, who said upgrades to the theatre were desperately needed, announced this month that he was standing down from his position with immediate effect, in order to be closer to his family in the UK.
