This was the usual solid no-fuss service from Vinny Osborne, a sound designer who has an interest in and knowledge of musical theatre, an attribute that is often overlooked when groups are putting their technical support teams together. While sound desks can rarely add as much to a production as their lighting colleagues, they can quickly break a show with ill-timed lifting of microphones or badly set or fluctuating levels.
Happily in this show individual levels were good, cueing was spot on and the balance between Ms Grehan’s band and the stage was well set and maintained throughout the afternoon.
Mr Osborne also threw in a couple of well-timed effects for good measure including the roar of Chad’s bike heralding the roustabout’s arrival and the birdsong in the garden scene as well as laying a reverb over a few voices in places and a echo effect on the megaphone of Matilda.
John Grayden – Sullivan Section
AIMS Adjudicator
Individual microphone levels were excellent while the balance between the stage and Dave O’Connor’s small pit band was correctly set and well maintained throughout the performance.
Mr Osborne also added to the overall production with a range of well-cued sound effects which are always a joy to listen out for.
As the ship prepared to cast off we heard the vessel’s horn sound twice as well as the seagulls circling overhead.
At sea we had the crack of a gunshot as the trap shoot got underway. And when Moonface had steadied his nerve after thinking he was under attack, we heard the chatter of his machine gun as he entered the contest and swanned off with the prize.
The desk also gave us the various dog yelps; the splash of the water as Billy and Moonie callously threw Evangeline’s pup into the water and the crash of the bottle breaking over the Chinese gambler’s head in the liner’s brig late in Act Two. I’ll swear I even heard a rumble of thunder and the sound of rain at one point during one of Hope’s numbers.
John Grayden – Sullivan Section
AIMS Adjudicator
Vinny Osborne’s levels on individual microphones good and the balance between the stage and Caitriona Ni Threasaigh’s pit band well maintained.Mr Osborne also gave us a series of excellent well cued effects from the opening moments when we heard barking from the phantom Toto.
The rush of the wind and the claps of thunder were delivered through two banks of speakers at the front of the auditorium and the four smaller wall mounted speakers before the sound of an almighty crash as the storm moved in, lifting the Gale farmhouse.
We also had the sound of the crows jabbering as we were introduced to the Scarecrow; the clunking noise as the Tinman described chopping off his legs, the roar as the Lion appeared and bird noises from the desk during the forest scene as the show’s heroes stepped out on the road to meet the Wizard.
Mr Osborne added heavy reverb to the speaking voice of Damian Douglas’s Wizard and gave us a lot of background noise as the charlatan of Oz addressed Dorothy and her newly-acquired friends.
We also had the bells ringing in Evillene’s palace and more wind howling as the Wizard’s balloon left for home.
John Grayden – Sullivan Section
AIMS Adjudicator
