Brilliant Stages' general manager, Tony Bowern was tasked by the tour's production manager, Wob Roberts, to oversee the design, construction and delivery of elements including a series of replicas of Robbie Williams' head, on-stage tracking solutions, a multi-tiered main stage with protective roofette and a curved header topping the massive back wall.
In collaboration with a number of key partners, including fellow Prolyte Group subsidiary Prolyte UK, Brilliant delivered an exceptionally conceived and constructed product to the specifications of artistic designer Willie Williams and the late stage architect Mark Fisher.
"Tony transformed our requirements into an enormous construction schedule which co-ordinated the contributions from all parties involved, as well as the elements from Prolyte UK and Brilliant themselves," said Roberts. "This took a lot of pressure off me as it meant I didn't have to spend time chasing subcontractors - all that was handled by Tony and Brilliant Stages' Planning Manager, Lucy Coe, who kept me well informed as things progressed.
"The show demands a lot of set including some heavy pieces but, by using simple technology and a good build quality, Brilliant's designs have made it very straight forward to construct."
Brilliant co-ordinated the supply of three 7m high sculptures of Robbie Williams' head - Steampunk, Phrenology and Skull - fabricated by MDM, 2D:3D and Perry Scenic respectively - from glass reinforced plastic (GRP). These were installed on Brilliant-built wagons and track downstage to B stage thrusts. Brilliant laid the tracks on top of Stageco's main stage deck and incorporated infill sections that are removed to allow the heads to pass downstage and reinstated when not in use.
Brilliant Stages added a curved staircase around the 'rusted iron' lattice-work of Steampunk to provide multi-level performing platforms for musicians, backing singers and Williams. A revolving platform was designed into the B-stage thrust which rotates Steampunk to face the audience whilst a hydraulic slew ring in the neck allows the head to turn from side to side.
The silver-coloured Phrenology head was built with six panels in the cranium which Brilliant designed to open hydraulically to release a cloud of helium balloons into the air as it tracks downstage. Carrying Williams and co-star Olly Murs, a further hydraulic mechanism in the neck allows the head to swing 25° either side of the vertical.
The third head, Skull head, is a solid construction of translucent fibreglass which, when backlit, produces the appearance of a skull and tracks downstage carrying Williams in its mouth. Like the others, it is placed on a Brilliant wagon for transportation downstage.
Brilliant Stages designed and built the tracking system to guide the wagons supporting the heads around the set into their cue positions. Brilliant's John Prentice and Andy Edwards worked together with Warren Services to supply the chassis and hydraulics for each head. "We kept the mechanics simple, choosing to use hydraulic drive solutions over electronic elements wherever possible to guarantee the wagons performed seamlessly for all shows," says Bowern. "This lent maximum robustness and durability to the set, increasing its road-worthiness and weather resistance on tour."
Overseen by Brilliant Stages CAD Manager, Mel Welch, the design and construction of the three-level, gold-finished band stage also incorporated rope light embedded into the surface in patterns that replicate Williams' tattoos. The system includes access stairs and ramps, and an innovative guttering solution to drain away rainwater.
James Chapman, head of Prolyte UK's projects division, and Prolyte lead designer, Dave Evans, worked together with Tony Bowern and tour project ma
