Avolites People in the Spotlight: Gareth Kays

Hi Gareth! What do you currently do?

I’m the owner and creative director of a medium-sized production company in Hobart, ‘GK Productions’. I handle all the day-to-day administration and lead my team out in the field. I design all the large theatre productions we do.

Do you have a favourite part of the industry? What draws you to it?

My passion has always been musical theatre. I’ve always enjoyed it, but from a creative perspective, it’s about being able to do something scripted, knowing what’s coming next, and creating those magic moments.

How old were you when you first started in theatre?

I was 10 years old when I was involved in my first theatrical production with a youth drama group. I assisted backstage before taking on the audio and lighting duties not long after.

When were you first introduced to Avolites consoles?

I was first introduced to Avolites by the former Tassie production company Production Works while at college. I then ended up working there for 12 years, running their lighting department. They had just purchased a Pearl 2000 Rollercue and Sapphire 2000, having just sold their Diamond 3.

What was the first Avolites product you purchased, and do you still use it?

The first product I purchased was a Titan Mobile. I still use it as a backup. I often program smaller shows we do on a console and then leave a Titan Mobile in place for an operator. During production week, I network a Mobile or T3 to either our D7-215 or Quartz consoles, allowing me to do fixes on the fly while the operator manages the cueing.

Why do you choose Avolites for the gigs you do?

Avolites just makes sense! I find Avolites just so intuitive, with no need to memorise syntax or numerous modifier key shortcuts. There are so many ways to operate the console, and once you’ve learnt the basics of Titan, you can follow the same process to undertake many more complex operations.

How do you find the D7-215 versus the Quartz?

The recent acquisition of the D7-215 has been great. Having a console with more real estate and extra screens has sped up programming, and having some extra dedicated buttons has sped up updating cues as well. The Quartz has been great for theatre, where nearly everything is preprogrammed, but on our other larger outdoor events, the extra playbacks, executors and motorised faders will really be a game changer.

When programming a theatre show, what features aid you the most? Are you a heavy syntax user and how do you find that on Avolites? Is it intuitive?

I don’t use syntax programming. I find it far quicker with a mouse click, selecting groups, and I love the attribute editor workspace for programming speed. The cue list workspace is straightforward for configuring changes and editing cues and individual attribute times. The Shape Generator is also fast and intuitive for creating most basic demands.

What’s a handy programming trick you know now that you wish you’d known much earlier?

I tend not to change too many user settings, but I recently learned there was an option to leave fade times, etc., in the programmer when hitting Clear.

What are you currently working on?

Currently, we have a couple of school productions in progress, and we have a corporate fundraiser for Variety that our D7-215 will be going to. It will be the first real busking gig for the new console, so that is exciting.

Do you know what your next 6–12 months look like?

We are currently in the process of moving into a new warehouse, which will be the first time all our inventory will be under one roof. The end of the year is always busy with various dance concerts and Hobart’s Carols by Candlelight, before getting back into the theatre early next year for a few different productions.

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Main Pic: & Juliet – John X Presents – 2026