Classic Gear Live! 2026
The hugely popular Classic Gear Live stand, which brings key items from the history of entertainment technology to the PLASA Show to sit alongside the latest innovations launched at the show, is back again for 2026 – returning to its home on the balcony level with a bird’s eye view over the rest of the show.
This year, Classic Gear Live is marking some key anniversaries in entertainment technology:
- 50 years since the opening of the National Theatre on the South Bank of London’s River Thames. At the time of its opening, the National embraced new technology in a way no other British theatre had, with power flying, the famous Olivier Drum Revolve stage, the pioneering Lightboard lighting console and much more besides. Classic Gear Live will be celebrating this with an array of lighting controls used in the building over the years, from Lightboard through Galaxy through Strand 500-series, to an original ETC Eos running the v1.0 software from the time of its 1996 debut – come and see how much it’s changed in the last twenty years! Also on show will be the original automation console from the Olivier Theatre, and the prototype model of the Drum Revolve, together with a photo gallery giving a unique view behind the scenes in the building over the decades.
- 40 years since the launch of Vari-Lite’s Series 200 system. On show will be the mighty Artisan control console, and a range of lighting fixtures including the VL2, VL4 and later VL5, but also the now incredibly rare VL3 and VL6 fixtures. More importantly, on the stand during Sunday and Monday will be two of the key members of the team behind the products, Vari-Lite lead designer Jim Bornhorst, who along with his team received an EMMY Award for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering for these lighting fixtures, and Tom Littrell, who amongst much else established the role of Vari-Lite Programmer, on shows including the Genesis Abacab tour which marked the debut of the Vari-Lite. This is a unique and remarkable opportunity to come and hear the history of moving lights from two of the pioneers in the field!
- 70 years since the debut of Betty, the Strand System CD lighting console which ran the shows at the Palace Theatre in London from 1956 to 1980. Betty is making a return appearance to Classic Gear Live having garnered so much attention last year; she will again be one of the most tactile delights at the show. If you missed her last year, or just want to come and enjoy her again, now is your chance!
The Classic Gear Live will also be involved in two panels at the show, one featuring Jim Bornhorst and Tom Littrell discussing the history of Vari-Lite, on Sunday 6th at 2.30pm, the other looking at the National Theatre and how it has continued to pioneer new entertainment technology throughout its life. That talk, which takes place at 2.3pm on Monday 7th, will feature Paul Handley, Matt Drury and Andrew Grant from the National in conversation with David Bertenshaw of Strand, who was part of the team who developed the Lightboard console, and Anne Valentino of ETC, who led the team who developed the Eos console family, talking about the demands of complex shows and how technology can satisfy those demands.
Alongside all of this will be the usual extensive collection of vintage audio equipment from Chris Hewitt Vintage Audio, everyone gathered together this year on stand K62, with the National Theatre Gallery right next door on stand K60.
Looking forward to seeing you all at the show!
Guests
We will be welcoming special guests Jim Bornhorst, Brooks Taylor and Tom Littrell of Vari-Lite (on Sun and Mon) and Anne Valentino of ETC (Sunday - Tuesday) who will also be taking part in talks:
https://www.plasashow.com/.../vari-lite-lights-changed-world
https://www.plasashow.com/.../national-theatre-fifty-five
On Display:
70 Years Of Betty - Strand System CD - courtesy Historic Stage Lighting Collective
Pattern 53 Mirror Spot & Semaphore Colour Changer - courtesy Historic Stage Lighting Collective
Historic Stage Lighting Collective
The Historic Stage Lighting Collective (HSLC) returns to Classic Gear Live for its fourth year, continuing its work to preserve, research, demonstrate and interpret the history of stage lighting and its associated technologies.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of Betty, the surviving Strand System CD lighting control originally installed at the Palace Theatre, London. Now part of the HSLC collection, Betty returns to Classic Gear Live as a working example of an important period in the development of stage lighting control.
Alongside Betty, HSLC will also be displaying historic equipment from its collection, helping to demonstrate not simply what this equipment looked like, but how it worked and how it was used by generations of theatre practitioners.
HSLC is a volunteer-led, non-profit heritage organisation with its principal collection based in Suffolk and additional equipment displayed through collaborative and hosted arrangements.
Further information about HSLC, its collection, research and membership can be found at www.thehslc.org.uk.
Celebrating the National Theatre at 50
These four lighting consoles represent the four generations of lighting control used at the National Theatre since it opened in 1976.
Lightboard (1976-1984)
Lightboard, engineered by Strand to a specification by Richard Pilbrow and Theatre Projects Consultants that was designed to offer lighting designers new tools for creating dynamic lighting while dealing with the enormous rigs in the National's main theatre.
Galaxy Lighting Console
Galaxy, the successor to Lightboard, offering many of the same facilities but running on microprocessors rather than a minicomputer (though without, at first, the moving light control Lightboard at included.)
Strand 400 / 500 Series
500-series, the replacement for Galaxy, running on PC hardware and the MS-DOS operating system. These consoles added support for moving lights within an operating environment familiar to users of earlier Strand consoles, fully integrated control of ever more complex rigs.
ETC Eos
ETC Eos, which replaced the 500-series consoles from about 2007 on. The National continues to use this family of console today, having upgraded to the later Ti and now Apex consoles.
It is interesting to move along these consoles and see how lighting control has evolved and advanced - but also how some useful functionality has been lost along the way.
National Theatre - Olivier Theatre Drum Revolve Model
National Theatre - Olivier Powered Flying Automation Control
National Theatre - Working Light Controls
R&V 1000W Beamlight
CCT Silhouette profile spotlight prototype
Launched in 1973
Steeldeck Platform
Celebrating Vari*Lite
For the first time, we have (almost) the whole Vari*Lite family, from 1981 to 1996
Vari*Lite Artisan Console
More about the Artisan
Vari-Lite VL1
Vari-Lite VL2
VL3
So rare even its creator admits he has no photos of the inside of it!
Vari-Lite VL4
VL5
VL6 Original
Also very rare!
