With the stage set as the Big Top, a ringmaster welcomed the audience to the show, which included jugglers, unicyclers, clowns and trapeze artists alongside the ultimate showmanship of the boy band themselves.
Creative Technology has been involved in all three tours since Take That reformed, which enables CT to provide the production with experience and knowledge allowing for smooth transit and seamless rig and de rig for each of the stadium stints. Utilising a Barco MiTrix screen for the back screen and two IMAG panels for each side, CT once again worked alongside XL Video who provided the central circular screen.
The MiTrix screen uses a total of 196 modules, delivers an overall screen size of over 350sq.m and used CT's newly developed cable system to overcome the installation issues that MiTrix has been known for in the past. CT also built custom dollies allowing equipment to be double stacked hugely reducing load in time and optimising truck pack.
In addition to the vast MiTrix screen, two towering IMAG displays flanked the stage. Each measuring almost 14 metres, it was essential to utilise a module with sufficient structural integrity to withstand both the vertical loads and potential wind forces. Nonetheless the top four rows of Mitsubishi modules selected had to be specially modified to withstand the potential loads. As with the MiTrix, CT built custom dollies, again reducing load-in time and truck space.
The entire project was managed by CT's Alex Leinster who temporarily returned from the company's Asia Pacific office to look after this project. Alex was supported locally by Rob Ricci and a touring crew of eight led by Richard Corns.
Production manager Chris Vaughan, who has worked with Take That since 1993, agreed that the scale of the show was extremely impressive and that CT's approach to the implementation and management of the screens was seamless: "With CT having been involved in all three of Take That's tours since the band reunited, their experience and understanding of how things need to go together in such a short time period certainly makes for a smooth and cohesive working relationship."
He added: "This is one of the largest deployments of Video Screen I have witnessed, five out of 35 Production trucks contain CT Video Screens and the whole production ran very smoothly. The screens looked magnificent and combined with Take That's spectacular showmanship ensured that this tour will be one people talk about for years to come."
(Lee Baldock)
