Can we turn emergency lights off briefly in a theatre?

[Switters]

Hello all,

 

I was wondering if anyone can help. I have been tasked with getting a ghaost to appear on stage and it seems that the easiest way is to have an actor in a black sheet that then drops to reveal them. Trouble is... the emergency lights cast too much light over the stage for it to be effective. Is it allowable to turn emergency lights off for 10 secs and then turn them back on again?

 

Thanks for any advice

 

[AnthonyB]

Sounds like you don't have the proper Theatre exit signs that are designed to have low ambient light levels and limited light spill during normal maintained mode and only full brightness in emergency mode. (e.g. http://www.escapezone.net/assets/pdf/Escapezone-st43m.pdf)

You can't physically just turn maintained lights off, unless they have been set up as switchable maintained (not usual, but not unknown). Even if you can you shouldn't, but subject to suitable management backed up by a risk assessment it's not impossible for such a short time