How to design lighting as a burlesque newbie
One of the less sexy sides of burlesque is the rehearsal and technical side - and it’s the bit that you don’t often see when you go to a show or if you are starting out as a student. A lot of the time if you are a student performer and participate in group events, there’s someone else taking care of a lot of this.
Then, perhaps you decide to step into a solo spotlight and suddenly are presented with tech sheets or requests for lighting preferences. I know for me when I started out, I just had no idea what anyone was talking about or what I could or couldn’t do.
This side of things can be really intimidating. So I thought I’d share a few simple tips for planning how you can address these technical needs. If you read no further I would just say that generally two things are true of the burlesque (and adjacent) scenes:
There is either no lighting options because it’s a small venue not really deisgned explicityly for burlesque or cabaret performance - and then you have no choices! OR
You’ve entered a venue where you can choose your lighting and technical needs but you will have a technician whose job it is to help you make you look your best on stage! When in doubt ask for their expertise.
If you want to know a bit more, a few easy lighting requests that work for almost any act:
● Full stage warm wash – A flattering, even light across the entire stage. This is the easiest and safest option for most performances.
● Centre stage special (spotlight) – Perfect if your act begins or ends in one location and you want to draw the audience’s focus.
● Slow fade up and fade down – A gentle transition into and out of your performance that feels polished without requiring multiple cues.
● Keep me visible! – If you’re moving around the stage, let the lighting operator know so they can avoid leaving you in the dark.
When in doubt, remember this: simple is better than overcomplicated. Asking for a basic wash of colour or for the technician to guide you, is sometimes easier than requests that are overly complex and intricately timed to music (these can be very dependent on the technician, the venue and you need to be able to adapt accordingly).
To make things even easier, I’ve created a free Beginner Burlesque Lighting Guide that explains common lighting terms, includes simple lighting requests you can copy onto a tech sheet, and gives you the confidence to communicate with venue technicians.
Download your free copy below and take one more thing off your pre-show stress list.
Free downloadable tip sheet to help you through picking lighting for your burlesque act. Perfect for new performers that don’t know where to begin!