Pacing the Void at Mount Stuart: Delivering Sound and Lighting for a Unique Contemporary Performance

Some projects stay with you long after the final cable has been packed away. For me, Pacing the Void at Mount Stuart remains one of those productions.

In September 2022, I was commissioned to provide the sound and lighting design and technical delivery for Pacing the Void, a newly commissioned contemporary performance created by artist and writer Rhona Warwick Paterson and performer Eve Musto.

Staged over three days within Mount Stuart's iconic Marble Hall, the work brought together movement, spoken word, soundscape and mythology beneath one of Scotland's most extraordinary ceilings, a celestial star map adorned with accurately positioned crystals representing the constellations.

The production featured narration from acclaimed actress Gerda Stevenson and an original soundscape by London-based musician Baby Brown. Inspired by the myth of Callisto and the ancient Daoist ritual known as "Pacing the Void", the performance explored the intersection between science, storytelling, astronomy and the poetic imagination. It was a remarkable piece of work. It was also one of the most technically challenging projects I had undertaken.

Understanding the venue

Mount Stuart's Marble Hall is breathtaking. Its scale, architecture and acoustics make it one of the most visually impressive spaces in Scotland, but those same qualities create significant challenges when staging a live performance.

Unlike a traditional theatre setting, audiences would be positioned on the gallery level looking down onto a mirrored performance floor below. Every technical decision needed to work not only for the performers, but for an audience viewing the production from above.

The mirrored floor added a further layer of complexity. Lighting had to enhance the performance without creating distracting reflections, while the sound needed to feel immersive without overwhelming the space or becoming lost within the hall's natural reverberation. There was no standard solution for this venue. Everything had to be designed specifically for the performance.

Designing the sound system

The Marble Hall's high ceilings and hard reflective surfaces meant that volume was not the answer. Instead, the goal was clarity.

I selected four Bose 802 Series III loudspeakers as the main system. Their controlled dispersion and long-throw characteristics allowed sound to reach the audience areas effectively while operating at a lower overall level than a conventional setup.

This approach reduced unwanted reflections and maintained intelligibility throughout the gallery spaces, ensuring that Gerda Stevenson's narration, Baby Brown's soundscape and the subtleties of the performance could be experienced as intended.

Two Mackie SRM450 loudspeakers were positioned on the lower level to provide monitoring for Eve Musto and the creative team during rehearsals and performances. The result was a system that supported the artistic work rather than drawing attention to itself, exactly as it should.

Lighting from a completely different perspective

Most stage lighting is designed to be viewed from the front. This performance wasn't.

The audience would be looking down onto the dancers from above, meaning every lighting position had to be considered differently.

The production specification included sixteen ETC Source Four Lustr+ LED profile fixtures fitted with 26-degree lens tubes, controlled via an ETC ColorSource lighting desk.

Twelve of the fixtures were positioned to cross-light the performance area from multiple directions. Careful shuttering allowed the dance floor to be precisely defined while preventing unnecessary spill into surrounding areas.

The remaining fixtures were used to highlight architectural details and the celestial features of the Marble Hall itself, helping connect the performance visually to the inspiration behind the work. Rather than competing with the venue, the lighting became part of the storytelling.

Finding a practical solution

One of the biggest challenges wasn't artistic, it was logistical. The production occupied the Marble Hall for a full week, yet Mount Stuart remained open to visitors between rehearsals and performances.

A conventional rigging approach would have required significant daily setup and removal, creating unnecessary labour and increasing the risk of disruption to both the production and the venue. Instead, the lighting system was designed around floor-mounted square-base stands positioned around the performance area. Careful cable management ensured all routes remained secure and discreet, while protective carpet tiles beneath the stands safeguarded the historic flooring.

When the Marble Hall was open to the public, the lighting stands could be carefully moved into the centre of the space, allowing visitors to enjoy the hall with minimal obstruction. Prior to rehearsals and performances, the fixtures were simply returned to their pre-marked positions around the performance area.

This approach provided a practical balance between the operational needs of a busy heritage venue and the technical requirements of a week-long performance residency, allowing the production to remain fully prepared without the need for daily derigging and re-rigging.

The outcome

What made this project particularly rewarding wasn't simply the scale of the production or the prestige of the venue. It was the collaboration.

Working alongside Rhona Warwick Paterson, Eve Musto, Baby Brown and the wider Mount Stuart team was a privilege. Every department was committed to creating something genuinely special, and there was a shared understanding that the technical elements needed to support and enhance the artistic vision.

The feedback received from the creative team, venue staff and audience members was overwhelmingly positive, with particular praise for how the sound and lighting integrated into the space without detracting from the performance itself. As a technical provider, that is always the goal.

Looking back, Pacing the Void remains one of the projects I am most proud of. It demonstrated the importance of understanding a venue, listening to a creative brief and designing solutions that are tailored specifically to the challenges in front of you.

It is exactly the type of work that reminds me why I love live events.

Whether it's a contemporary arts performance, a live music event, a corporate production or a community celebration, every event deserves a technical solution designed around the experience you want your audience to have.

If you're planning a project and need sound, lighting or technical production support, I'd love to help bring your vision to life.