Classic Gear Live returned to PLASA Show for the fifth time in 2026, once again opening its unique treasure trove of vintage technology to celebrate the equipment, designers and engineers who helped shape the evolution of the entertainment industry.
Located in The Gallery at stand K62, the space brought together a selection of historic lighting and production technology, alongside an extensive display of rare audio equipment from CH Vintage Audio, a collection curated by Chris Hewitt.
The initiative takes its name from LSi magazine’s long-running Classic Gear section and placed iconic technologies from different decades alongside the latest innovations presented at PLASA Show.
50 years of the National Theatre
This year’s edition commemorated the 50th anniversary of the opening of the National Theatre on London’s South Bank.
From the outset, the theatre embraced new technologies on a scale rarely seen in British theatre at the time, introducing motorised flying systems, the Olivier Theatre’s renowned Drum Revolve, the pioneering Lightboard lighting console and many other technical innovations.
Visitors were able to explore various lighting control systems used throughout the building’s history, from Lightboard and Galaxy to the Strand 500 Series, as well as an original ETC Eos running version 1.0 of the software with which it was launched in 2006. The Olivier Theatre’s original automation console and the prototype of the Drum Revolve were also on display.
At the adjacent stand, a photographic gallery offered a rare behind-the-scenes perspective on the National Theatre’s technical evolution over five decades.
Vari-Lite technology and the pioneers of moving lights
Classic Gear Live also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the launch of Vari-Lite’s Series 200 system. The exhibition included the Artisan control console and several fixtures, including the VL2, VL4 and VL5, alongside the now extremely rare VL3 and VL6.
Two key figures from Vari-Lite’s early years were present on Sunday and Monday: Jim Bornhorst, the company’s principal designer, who received an Emmy Award for engineering achievement alongside his team, and Tom Littrell, who helped establish the role of the Vari-Lite programmer on productions such as Genesis’ Abacab tour.
Their participation provided a first-hand insight into the history of moving lights through two of the professionals who contributed directly to their development.
Historic touring consoles from CH Vintage Audio
In the field of live sound, CH Vintage Audio presented an outstanding collection of mixing consoles associated with some of the most important artists and productions of the 1970s.
The exhibits included:
- the console used on David Bowie’s 1973 Ziggy Stardust tour;
- the quadraphonic console used by Pink Floyd for The Dark Side of the Moon and Live at Pompeii;
- the Mavis quadraphonic console used by The Who during the 1970s;
- a 24-channel WEM Stereomaster used by Slade on their tours during the 1970s;
- and a Kelsey console from the same decade used by Soft Machine.
These were joined by other historic pieces from the CH Vintage Audio collection, offering a first-hand look at the technology that accompanied a pivotal period in the history of touring and music recording.
Betty returned to PLASA Show
Classic Gear Live also commemorated the 70th anniversary of the debut of Betty, the Strand System CD lighting console that controlled productions at London’s Palace Theatre between 1956 and 1980.
Following the interest generated during the previous edition, Betty returned as one of the exhibition’s most interactive exhibits. Visitors who were unable to see it in 2025, or who simply wanted another look at this unique control system, were able to see it in operation throughout the show.
Classic Gear Live in the conference programme
In addition to the equipment itself, Classic Gear Live offered visitors the opportunity to meet some of the professionals who originally designed, manufactured, marketed and used these technologies.
The initiative also took part in two sessions within the PLASA Show conference programme.
On Sunday, 6 September, Vari-Lite: The Lights That Changed Our World brought together Vari-Lite pioneers Jim Bornhorst and Tom Littrell to explore the history of a moving-light technology that marked a turning point for the industry.
Bornhorst was Vari-Lite’s principal designer and received an Emmy Award for engineering achievement alongside his team. Littrell, meanwhile, helped establish the role of the Vari-Lite programmer in major productions, including Genesis’ Abacab tour.
On Monday, 7 September, The National Theatre at Fifty – Five Decades of Technology in Support of Theatre explored how the National Theatre has maintained a strong commitment to technological innovation in the performing arts over the decades.
Paul Handley, Matt Drury and Andrew Grant of the National Theatre were joined by David Bertenshaw of Strand, who was involved in developing the Lightboard console, and Anne Valentino of ETC, who led the team that developed the Eos console family.
During the session, they discussed the technical requirements of complex theatrical productions and how entertainment technology has evolved to meet them.
Classic Gear Live therefore offered a close-up journey through a significant part of entertainment technology history, bringing together equipment and professionals who played an important role in the industry’s evolution.
Visitors were also able to browse LSi’s complete archive to discover other articles published over the years in the Classic Gear section.
