Tom Ross has always had a smile that can light up a room.
But now, the Mayfair Theatre's lighting technician has two new large lighting trusses that can light up an entire theatre.
The trusses cost $4000 each and were imported from Taiwan with funds raised by the Rotary Club of Dunedin and the Otago Masonic Charitable Trust.
Mr Ross said they were 10m long, could hold up to 350kg of lighting or curtains each, and would improve the safety and usability of the theatre.
''It's all about making the whole system safe.
''We're a community theatre and we want to make sure it's safe when people come in here. We don't want things falling down and hitting people on the head.
''A lot of people who work back stage here are volunteers who have little to no experience in using the equipment.
''If you think about putting up 350kg of lighting on a rope like we've been doing, it becomes a very dangerous exercise because there are many people out there who can't tie knots properly.
''So we're idiot-proofing the place, to a point.''
Mr Ross said lighting was generally getting heavier and some of the new moving lights weighed about 35kg each.
''The new trusses make lighting totally secure because they are hung on chains, the lights are bolted on to the trusses and each light has a safety line also holding it on to the truss.''
Mr Ross said it would allow the theatre to have much larger and more spectacular lighting displays.
''I think it's great. It's part of a continual upgrade of the facility.
''The stuff we're putting in now will last another 50 years.''
