Revenge thriller, ghost story, psychological drama, political epic, family saga. Packed with unforgettable characters, theatrical masterstrokes, and world famous lines, Hamlet is one of the greatest plays ever written.
The Prince of Denmark comes home from university to find his father dead, his mother remarried to his uncle, and a spine-chilling apparition roaming the palace grounds. Barry Edelstein returns to the outdoor stage, with a cast featuring some of the nation’s finest classical actors, to bring Shakespeare’s exhilarating tragedy to life under the San Diego stars.
#WearableLighting #CostumeElectronics #LEDIntegration #SMD5050LED #FibreOptics #LowVoltageElectronics #ModularWiring #WirelessDMX #RC4Wireless #ETCION #LightingControl #DMXLighting #RemoteLightingControl #LightingSystemsDesign #TechnicalDesign #CreativeTechnology #Prototyping #IterativeDesign #RapidIteration #TheatreTechnology #StageLighting #OutdoorPerformance #ShakespeareProduction #DurabilityEngineering #ActorSafety #WearableTech #BackstageWorkflow #BatteryPoweredSystems
For Barry Edelstein’s 2017 production of Hamlet at The Old Globe, Shawna Cadence designed and engineered the remotely powered and controlled lighting systems including the Ghost costume and a 14-foot stage statue, translating the costume designer’s visual concept into a durable wearable lighting system suitable for an outdoor Shakespeare festival.
The costume required a fully integrated LED system that could withstand a two-month run on the outdoor Lowell Davies Festival stage while remaining safe and comfortable for the performer. Key considerations included weather durability, heat management, battery safety, and backstage usability for wardrobe and electrics technicians responsible for maintaining and operating the costume each night.
The costume and statue’s lighting design used SMD 5050 LED strip, fibre optics, and modular wiring with crimp connectors to allow rapid repair and design iteration during rehearsal and preview periods. Multiple colour temperature options were tested, including warm white and cool white, to balance the spectral quality of the ghost with the surrounding stage lighting.
The costume’s final system included eight independently controllable lighting zones, including fibre optic elements, upper and lower LED panels, shin panels, and helmet lighting. These elements were controlled wirelessly via RC4 wireless DMX, allowing the costume to be integrated into the production’s lighting cues and operated directly from the ETC Ion console.
The resulting system allowed the Ghost to appear as a luminous, supernatural presence while maintaining full actor mobility and reliability across the full festival run.
The production was a major success within The Old Globe’s 2017 Summer Shakespeare Festival, playing to thousands of audience members in the 600-seat Lowell Davies Festival Theatre and breaking box-office records for the venue.
Critics highlighted the production’s strong visual design and atmospheric staging. The illuminated Ghost costume became a striking visual element of the production, combining traditional armour aesthetics with integrated LED lighting to create an otherworldly presence on stage. The innovative wearable lighting system supported the director’s supernatural interpretation of the character while remaining fully mobile and stage-ready.
The production’s impact extended beyond the stage, later being adapted for a KPBS radio broadcast and featured in PBS coverage documenting the making of the show.
A powerful new staging of Shakespeare's greatest tragedy.
— The San Diego Union-Tribune
The Old Globe brings a smart, imaginative, and powerful version to their San Diego stage that you don't want to miss.
— BroadwayWorld
