Theatre Equipment Rental

Gearhouse Group: Back from the brink 18 December 2025 11:08 am As Gearhouse Group successfully emerges from Business Rescue, Joint Managing Director Nasser Abbas explains how the company is entering a new era of growth and stability. In October 2025, marking the middle of spring in the Southern Hemisphere, Gearhouse Group, one of South Africa’s leading technical production suppliers, officially emerged from its voluntary Business Rescue Plan. The company successfully settled all its Business Rescue obligations, repaying its creditors in full and resolving a COVID-related debt of R140 million (approximately $7.7 million). With this milestone marking a significant turnaround for the company, Joint Managing Director Nasser Abbas shared his insights into the process and his ambitions for renewed growth and long-term stability in the post-recovery phase. What led to Gearhouse Group entering Business Rescue? Like many businesses worldwide, Gearhouse Group was severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which of course led to a sudden and prolonged shutdown of all live events. Recognising the gravity of the situation early, we proactively engaged our financial stakeholders, including our bank, the South African Revenue Service (SARS) and major creditors, to prepare for potential financial strain. In consultation with its auditors, PKF, Gearhouse Group explored the option of Business Rescue – a structured legal process that allows companies to suspend debt obligations and restructure operations in partnership with creditors. Having exhausted all alternative solutions, the company entered voluntaryBusiness Rescue in late April 2020. What was the company’s strategy to exit Business Rescue? Throughout the voluntary Business Rescue process, Gearhouse maintained consistent communication with creditors via the appointed Business Rescue Practitioner, while management simultaneously sought potential investors. Although the last major investment proposal fell through in April 2022, a noticeable increase in business activity since February of that year signalled the beginning of recovery. With lockdown restrictions lifting, management proposed a ‘trade-out’ strategy to repay all creditors over time through operational income. In May 2022, creditors overwhelmingly supported the plan with 99% voting in favour, including both the bank and SARS. This unprecedented consensus reflected the high level of confidence in the company’s ability to recover and trade its way out of debt. How did Gearhouse employees contribute to the company’s recovery? Gearhouse employees and senior managers demonstrated extraordinary resilience and commitment. Salaries were reduced to 20% for six months, after which a project-based remuneration system was implemented. Despite the hardship, the core team continued working tirelessly, remaining motivated and fully engaged. Transparent communication ensured that staff were kept informed and supported throughout. By September 2022, Gearhouse Group had returned to full operational capacity with approximately 260 employees around 60% of its pre-pandemic workforce. Many former employees had emigrated or transitioned to other industries, prompting the company to prioritise debt repayment and operational stability before reinvesting in new equipment. Despite this cautious approach, business rebounded rapidly and 2023 and 2024 became the most successful trading years in Gearhouse’s 34-year history. Cash flow management throughout the recovery phase required precision and discipline, supported by open communication with stakeholders and the professional guidance of Business Rescue Practitioner, Derek Schickerling. His expertise and confidence in the company’s recovery were instrumental in ensuring a smooth and compliant process. Gearhouse Group not only met but exceeded its Business Rescue commitments. The company’s technical capabilities, experienced workforce and strong client relationships enabled it to deliver successfully on major projects even during the most constrained periods. The crisis also prompted significant internal improvements streamlining operations, reducing costs and establishing a leaner, more agile business model that has strengthened long-term performance. Has the company still been able to invest throughout the process? Emerging from its most challenging chapter, the company has since reinvested R260 million in new equipment over the past three years while fully honouring all creditor obligations. We’ve made significant investments in equipment across all disciplines, from Elation Proteus, Ayrton Rivale, Robe Tetra, ROXX CLUSTER, and ETC Halcyon lighting fixtures to MA Lighting grandMA3 Full Size consoles in the lighting department, to Green Hippo Boreal Mk2 Hippotizers, AV Stumpfl Pixera media servers, projectors from Panasonic, Christie and Barco and Leyard and Absen Led screens for the video team. The audio department meanwhile has received new Meyer Sound and L-Acoustics systems, a Turbosound monitor rig, Allen & Heath digital mixers and stage boxes, DigiCo Quantum 338 consoles, Shure and Sennheiser microphones and a range of Clear-Com equipment, not to mention the Layherstage systems, StageCo equipment, Eurotruss trussing, Chainmaster motors, Blackmagic Design gear, and variety of backline that continues to improve our offering. How does the company’s recovery help the local community? In January 2023, Gearhouse proudly reopened the Gearhouse Kentse Mpahlwa Academy – one of its most valued contributions to the industry. The Academy continues to provide education and practical training opportunities to young professionals, many of whom support their families through their new careers. Though its impact cannot be measured on a balance sheet, the Academy remains a symbol of Gearhouse’s commitment to empowering future generations and building a sustainable future for the live events industry. 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Theatre Etiquette – A Few Notes to Remember 1 October 2024 8:29 pm Understanding the customs and behaviours that ensure a pleasant theatre experience, from dressing appropriately to maintaining good manners. Getting to watch a theatre production is a momentous event. Such an occasion is rare, and the opportunity to see the collective achievements of the actors, stage management, and theatre equipment is a true spectacle. With that in mind, are we all familiar with theatre etiquette? If you said no, then worry not because we’d like to present a guide on how to adequately conduct yourself for the sake of your viewing experience and those joining you both in and out of the concert seating. Dress Code Attending a theatre production is a formal event. This means suits, cocktail dresses, and darker colours to avoid creating an overly bright distraction for your fellow audience members. It brings a certain sophistication to the event and certainly doesn’t take away from your charm. There will be several occasions where a theatre venue will clarify the dress code to attend an upcoming production. Nowadays, only traditional theatre, such as opera and ballet, requires formal wear.  Some events will only require semi-formal dressing, which tends to be forgiving in how easily an outfit can be assembled. A tuxedo won’t be needed, but a suit and tie would suit perfectly. Knee-length skirts and blouses are permissible for ladies in attendance.  With all that being said, some theatres will allow for casual wear. If you’re unsure about what is and is not permitted, semi-formal is a safe bet and will help you find the right balance in any dressing scenario. As long as you don’t turn up in flip-flops and shorts, you’ll be fine.  Posture & Manners One should feel relaxed when they’re attending a stage production. Such an event structures itself around luxury, and whether you’re a frequent audience member or seldom get the chance to take part in live viewings, everybody wants the best out of their experience. So, how does one ensure everybody gets to take in the scale of the staging and sets? With good manners, of course.  The audience should remain silent throughout the actors’ performance to give them the freedom to carry out the production, but a hushed voice isn’t the only thing that’s needed to give a good viewing to the audience. Mobile phones should be turned off or at least set to silent, and it should be a given that photos and videos must not be taken in the theatre. Sit up straight and don’t lean to the side; this would prohibit those behind you from having a clear view of the stage and screens. You also shouldn’t wear your hair high up, nor should you adorn any hats, as this would distract people behind you.  The length of some productions can be overwhelming for some, so don’t forget to eat before the start of the production. You shouldn’t wait until you’ve reached your seat to start eating. Try to arrive early so you can easily find your seat (and be sure to find yourself at your assigned event seating, nobody likes an argument) and be mindful of those looking for theirs. Pull your legs back to allow other guests to pass through the tightly packed rows of seats, and if you have to, don’t hesitate to stand up to give them room.  If you arrive late, don’t fret; the doors will open again for the intermission. Most performances have a set moment in the show when they can allow latecomers into the auditorium. Still, you will not always be able to get to your assigned seat until the intermission. Besides, you don’t want to try navigating through concert seating once the theatre lighting has gone dark.  Behaviour of Children Children are the very light of our lives and the thing that breaks up the silence of the dark. The latter of those two things isn’t exactly great when watching a stage drama. It’s a painful truth, but unfortunately, there’ll always come a time when hiring a babysitter would be a better alternative to bringing your child along to watch a much-anticipated production.  Theatre productions can go late into the night, and there is no guarantee that an exhausted child will be able to control their cries, which could cause a distraction for actors and audience alike and create discomfort for the parents of said child. Infant children are already restricted from entering because of this. Those managing the AV system can’t account for an unruly child. That’s up to the parents, even if the child is old enough to enter.  There’s nothing to say that a young child can’t sit back and enjoy a production. However, if a parent makes the wrong call by bringing their children into the audience, they must be able to handle the situation. Many productions will have an age restriction. This is not only due to the content of the production but also to the consideration of fellow audience members.  Encore An encore can feel like the height of a performer’s career. The event sees the audience wanting more from them, usually delivered through extended applause. It is a source of great pride and appreciation to those involved with the stage management, so be sure to give the applause with courtesy by ensuring everyone in the audience is on the same page with what they want (don’t worry, it’ll be easy to tell).  The final thing to note about the encore is that you shouldn’t leave while it’s performed. The sets, staging, screens, acts, audio visual, and even the theatre rentals have come together to bring a vision to life, and if it was good enough to warrant an encore, you wouldn’t want to miss out.  A standing ovation is the highest honour an audience can award a production, so if your fellow audience members carry on clapping, don’t be afraid to join in.  Contact us today Gearhouse is your