In theater, a worklight is a high-intensity light fixture

Light fixture

A light fixture, light fitting, or luminaire is an electrical device used to create artificial light and/or illumination, by use of an electric lamp...

 which is used to illuminate the stage for the benefit of technicians

Theatrical Technician

A theatrical technician, is a person who operates technical equipment and systems in the Performing arts and Entertainment industry...

. Technicians use these lights rather than the stage lights for a number of reasons. Firstly, it take much less technical knowledge to turn on worklights, so even people with no knowledge of electrics can turn them on. Secondly, regardless of the lights hung for the specific show, they provide fairly consistent and complete lighting. Finally, and most importantly, they are designed to be cheap and easy to re-lamp, in contrast to theatrical fixtures which have expensive lamps and would burn through color gels if used to illuminate stage work.

Worklights are not designed to light the stage in an aesthetically pleasing way, but rather to be efficient in terms of space and heat; however they may occasionally be used to emphasize plot elements during a show. They are generally near-white. Worklights are usually placed on catwalks

Catwalk (theater)

A catwalk is an elevated service platform from which many of the technical functions of a theater, such as lighting and sound, may be manipulated.- Function :...

 and battens

Batten (theater)

In theater, batten refers to a long metal pole suspended above the stage or the audience from which lighting fixtures, theatrical scenery, tabs or other curtains may be hung...

, or can be permanently built in. If not hard wired into the control system the connectors are often marked or attached in a way to prevent them from mistakenly being removed during a strike/load out.

Worklights can also be used during performances and rehearsals, to provide dim lighting for technicians backstage.

Types of worklights

Worklights are often built into a theatre

Theatre

Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...

 as a fluorescent

Fluorescent lamp

A fluorescent lamp or fluorescent tube is a gas-discharge lamp that uses electricity to excite mercury vapor. The excited mercury atoms produce short-wave ultraviolet light that then causes a phosphor to fluoresce, producing visible light. A fluorescent lamp converts electrical power into useful...

 light as in the photo at right. However, some theatres may use, as a supplement to or instead of the fluorescent lights, either the normal stage lights (which produce a lot of heat) or just scoops

Scoop (theater)

In stage lighting, an ellipsoidal reflector floodlight , better known as a scoop, is a large, simple lighting fixture with a dome-like reflector, large high-wattage lamp and no lens...

.