A director from an Essex company specialising in technical services for the entertainment and leisure industries has just returned from a successful opera and dance tour in the United States, including shows on Broadway.

Ben Payne, of Colchester-based Illuminate Design, was facilitating technical aspects of 10 shows, bringing lights, sound and projection to the New Victory Theatre in New York’s Times Square and Montclair University.

The productions played to more than 5,000 opera and dance enthusiasts and involved two separate tours, featuring The Firework Maker’s Daughter by The Opera Group and Freedom by the Jasmin Vardimon Dance Company. Both were well-received.

With entertainment and event venues across Essex and Suffolk gearing up for a busy summer ahead, he now hopes to build on his success by switching the focus of the company closer to home.

“These next few months are expected to be the busiest yet for Illuminate Design as we offer bespoke packages to create the perfect scene for many special moments, whether a wedding, corporate event or a private function,” he said.

The company, of which Mr Payne is joint managing director, alongside Andrew Wales and Robin Shephard-Blandy, was established in 2004 and also has an office in Devon.

It is planning two open days next month, in Colchester on Wednesday, June 5 and Ipswich on Thursday, June 6. For details, visit www.illuminatedesign.co.uk .