Wanting to retain the intimacy and feel of the original theatre show, a pros arch look was recreated at the front of the stage with black drapes and theatre tabs, with the two left and right IMAG video screens incorporated into the draping system. Side masking and a full set of legs was also supplied by the Adlib team, who used the house black upstage at each venue.
The tour's production was designed by Martin Delany & Adlib Design's Peter Abraham who says, "The set & design haven't changed dramatically over the last 10 years just the technology used to create the effects makes our lives easier. The biggest challenge was recreating a theatre within different arena settings."
The design was based on four straight trusses in the roof, two at 40ft over the stage, an 80ft front truss holding the drapes and soft pros arch, with a 40ft advance truss to allow good front light positions.
The two upstage trusses were rigged with 13 Martin Professional MAC 700 Wash moving heads evenly spread along the width. The 80ft D/S truss featured another seven MAC 700 Washes along with all the drapes to create the theatre feel. The MAC 700 Washes were there to provide all the basic stage looks.
The advance truss contained 12 Source Four profiles (25-50's), used for key light specials and also for a straight wash across the front of the stage that contrasted with the moving lights.
Martin and Mike Summerfield (ADLIB's touring technician operator) added five set practicals - real domestic wall fitting lights - to add a touch of 'homely authenticity' to the living room set, which has been a key visual element of the show for some time. Everything was run through an Avolites Pearl Expert in Titan mode.
For audio, Adlib's crew chief Kenny Perrin specified Adlib's new Coda Acoustics line array system as it is has proved to be excellent for theatrical style performances and the spoken word. "I was very impressed with the previous results we have had from this system," he comments. The largest configuration was in Newcastle Arena, where they flew 14 Coda LA12 Airline speakers a side, each with three LA8 underhangs, which ran together with eight Coda SC8 subs stacked in four columns of two, to spread the sound out evenly around the venue.
The chosen console was a Soundcraft Vi1, on which Woods also mixed the monitor system which consisted of four ADLIB FD speakers - two flown per-side, plus another two FDs at the back for fills.
(Jim Evans)
