grandMAgazine - MA Lighting

I interview IInterviewMA Lighting meets Patrick WoodroffePatrick Woodroffe was born June 11, 1954 in Oxford. His work encompassesthe worlds of music, dance, fashion, art and architecture.The roster of his clients is diverse, to say the least, and includes amongmany others, artists and organisations such as ABBA, The Los AngelesPhilharmonic Orchestra, Michael Jackson, Cirque du Soleil, BobDylan, Yo! Sushi, Van Morrison, President Vaclav Havel, MichaelFlatley, The Millennium Dome, Elton John, Vanity Fair, the RollingStones and the Wynn Hotels in Macao and Las Vegas.Patrick grew up in Singapore and Germany and was educated inthe UK.There are many projects running on grandMA which we cover regularlyin this magazine.In addition to the technical realisation of these projects, MA likesto take a more personal look at the people, their lives, ideas andaspirations. This time we met Patrick Woodroffe.1. How did you first become involved in lighting?I fell into it really, through my brother Simon, at a time when lightingwas still a fledgling business - parcans only, no trusses just genietowers, very rudimentary control boards and so on. My career developedat the same speed as the industry and I think I was lucky to havecome into at the time I did.2. What/who has inspired you along the way?I remember seeing Marc Brickman’s shows with Bruce Springsteenwhen I first went to America and thinking how he had discovered areal connection between the theatre of Bruce’s performance and theexcitement of the traditional light show. Otherwise, all sorts of lightingsituations can spark an idea, particularly industrial forms and of coursenatural light. And I’ve always been fascinated in architecture and howsomething of such scale, but so inanimate in form, can also often beso moving.3. What are the most memorable or enjoyable moments of your career?The moment after a big show has just finished, and the sense ofachievement and accomplishment in pulling something off underdifficult circumstances is always rewarding.AC/DC “Black Ice” – World Tour© Steve Jennings22