Lamplighter Theatre

Coming up in March we will be airing the radio drama of one of our best known titles, A Peep Behind the Scenes. But long before the day of the first broadcast, much must be accomplished to get the drama produced. The script must be written, actors need to be hired, the studio needs to be booked, and travel arrangements must be made.

For most of our dramas we head across the Atlantic to record with one of the world’s most talented radio theatre producers, Phillip Glassborrow at SoundHouse Studios, London. In the future, we’ll tell you all about Phillip. But as a precursor to that, I’d like for you to see some of our actors and production staff in action with these “behind the scenes” (pun intended!) videos from the recording sessions for A Peep Behind the Scenes. Enjoy!

During one of the recording sessions at the Soundhouse, a studio in London, England, filmmaker David Hamby captured some great behind the scenes footage of The Basket of Flowers being filmed and infused it with an interview with Lamplighter Ministries president Mark Hamby as he discusses the scope and mission of Lamplighter Theatre. Check out the video and share with your friends!

If you’re a fan of the cinematic version of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, then you’ll doubtless know the name John Rhys-Davies, the 6′1″ Welshman from Tanzania who plays the dwarf, Gimlee, in The Lord of the Rings. John Rhys-Davies is an accomplished actor on screen and in the recording studio with a list of over 190 acting credits and over 25 soundtrack and voice-over appearances to his name. Here is an excerpt from the Internet Movie Database about John’s background:

Acclaimed British actor John Rhys-Davies graduated from the University of East Anglia and is probably best known to film audiences for his roles in the blockbuster hits Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) and Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989). He has also had leading roles in Victor Victoria (1982), The Living Daylights (1987) and King Solomon’s Mines (1985).

Rhys-Davies, who was raised in England, Africa and Wales, credits his early exposure to classic literature for his decision to pursue acting and writing. he later refined his craft at London’s renowned Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. His television credits include James Clavell’s “Shogun” (1980) and “Noble House” (1988), “Great Expectations” (1989), “War and Remembrance” (1988) and “Arch

aeology”(1991).

An avid collector of vintage automobiles, Rhys-Davies has a host of theater roles to his credit, including “The Misanthrope”, “Hedda Gabler” and most of Shakespeare’s works. He divides his time between Los Angeles and the Isle of Man.

John is the host of Lamplighter Theatre, the voice you’ll hear at the beginning of each series, welcoming you Abington Falls, where Finnian Jones has a quirky little shop full of “more than you would expect.” His voice over work for Lamplighter Theatre is recorded at a studio on the Isle of Man.

This past weekend a great effort was underway to produce a five minute excerpt of the new Sir Malcom and the Missing Prince Dramatic Audio to send to a very important meeting. Both our audio engineer and music composer spent their weekend working on this, and they did it free of charge. Once the sound designer completed the final mix of this demo, our producer John Fornoff raced around trying to find an open courier who could deliver the demo overnight to the meeting. No one was open, and he had just missed FedEx by five minutes. John was ready to book a flight to Texas in order to deliver the demo in time, but in a moment of wisdom, his wife urged him to contact a recording studio near where the meeting was to take place to see if they could help. Thankfully, a studio employee was working and was not only willing to receive the demo over the internet and record it to a cd, but to ensure it’s delivery to the meeting by 9 a.m. the next morning.

One of the most extraordinary things about working in ministry, is seeing God use people in ways you might never expect. The people that God has raised up to be a part of Lamplighter and Lamplighter Theatre are people of passion and vision, and the years they have spent in cultivating their skills have not blinded their eyes and ears to God’s call for sacrifice and faithfulness.