From Old Church to Modern Theatre – Ayrton Diablo brings technology up to date at Theater De Maagd in The Netherlands

Theater De Maagd, a converted church-turned-theatre in Bergen op Zoom in The Netherlands, has recently undergone technical modernization, part of which included transitioning from halogen to LED lighting.

Ampco-Flashlight Sales, Ayrton’s exclusive distributor for The Netherlands, recommended Ayrton Diablo TC, as a versatile and advanced LED fixture that perfectly aligns with the theatre’s vision for its future, installing 16 Diablo TCs as front lighting and an additional six units for use on stage.

The drive for innovation and a new way of working was precisely the reason the theatre chose Ayrton Diablo, as Cees Snellink, head of technology at Theater De Maagd, explains: “Switching to Ayrton Diablo saves us time and money because we now need much less physical setup compared to the conventional halogen lighting we used previously. Much of the preparation can now be done digitally which significantly reduces the number of hours needed on stage to design a light show. In addition, working with LED moving heads at height is both safer and more efficient, and we no longer need to work in difficult-to-reach places.”

Nicky Jonker, Technical Coordinator, and Benjamin-John Paulissen, lighting technician at the theatre, were closely involved in the preliminary process and selection of Diablo TC. Based on their forward-looking vision, they were searching for a specific product that met all their requirements. After nearly nine months of shootouts and comparisons between different brands, they concluded that Ayrton stood out in several key areas. “Of all the lights we tested, Ayrton’s colours were the most faithful to the existing Lee filters,” says Jonker. “There was virtually no physical difference – which was the main reason we chose Ayrton. Every theatre company that visits us is amazed by the colour accuracy of Diablo.”

Diablo’s compact size proved another advantage: “Despite its small size, the light output is more than sufficient for our venue, and it’s also very quiet,” explains Paulissen. “This is important since some of the fixtures are placed relatively close to the audience seating. When the seating area is empty, we can increase the power if needed. In practice, this isn’t necessary, but it’s a great option to have, and that flexibility in output and fan control is very useful.”

The team has programmed the new Diablos in a way that allows each visiting production to quickly and easily adjust the settings to their needs. Paulissen is very satisfied with the new system’s usability: “I no longer have to climb up to adjust the lights manually. We can load different presets into the Diablos, so everything is handled digitally, saving a lot of time. We have multiple control points in the theatre where we can operate the lighting, either via a computer or a lighting console which makes working with these lights much easier.

“The system is also easy to use for less experienced technicians. We can adjust the settings so that visiting productions without their own lighting console, but with just a QLab file, can still use our system. We can quickly load the settings and configure the lights so that visiting groups only need to work with a dimmer.”

The venue also found Diablo’s pricing to be very favourable. “Diablo stood out in terms of technical performance, colour accuracy, and price-quality ratio,” explains Paulissen. “I’ve seen lights that cost thousands of euros more but didn’t meet our requirements. We first looked at the specifications we needed and the quality of the light. Based on that, we chose the Diablo. When we then received the price quote, it turned out to fit perfectly within our budget.”

Ampco Flashlight Sales was thrilled to have contributed to the modernization of such a unique venue as Theater De Maagd, as product specialist, Arnoud de Leeuw who oversaw the entire sales process, says: “It was great to work with people who clearly knew what they wanted and what was important to them. I’m glad I could play a role in realizing their future vision. The end result is not only technically impressive but also visually stunning. I’m impressed with the final result and secretly quite proud of it. Even though I’m not officially connected to the theatre, it almost feels like I am!”