The tour is scheduled to play stadia of all sizes in France, Belgium and Switzerland, so it required a flexible touring set that would create a dramatic visual impact in different capacity venues, from the 60,000 seat Stade de France in Paris to smaller venues like the Stade Jules Deschaseaux in Le Havre.
Stage designer Mark Fisher of Stufish designed a stage dominated by a large mythic bird, wings outstretched and spanning the entire width of the performance area. Beneath it were two pairs of giant caryatids, half human, half avian, which were moved into position by robots on tracks built into the stage design. In transit, these figures were protected by a structure which doubled as a video wall support during the show, demonstrating the ingenuity and economy of Stageco's engineering.
All the elements required close liaison between Stufish, the production company Camus Productions and the Belgian-based staging specialists.
Stageco used its in-house design, engineering and fabrication expertise to create a made-to-measure stage which could easily be installed, demounted and transported, in spite of its technical complexity.
According to production director Roger Abriol of Camus Productions, "Johnny Hallyday required an ambitious design with an international impact. The bird - either an eagle or a phoenix - is a powerful symbol in an uncertain world. In the initial phases, Stageco helped us to establish the access facilities and dimensions of the different stadia, ensuring the logistics of the stage build were practical.
"Their tower-based system gave us the flexibility to create different and adventurous designs, offering a huge advantage in economy and strength. Johnny Hallyday's Tour 66 was an opportunity to create something totally different and that's why we chose to work with Stageco."
Stageco's project manager Dirk de Decker was instrumental in the development and fabrication of the stage, while technical supervisors Antonio Duarte da Cruz and Patrick Vonckx were responsible for the logistics and stage installation on tour.
"Johnny Hallyday always likes to stretch the creative boundaries," says Dirk de Decker. "There were many challenging elements in this stage, including the use of robots and the logistics of the different stages. It was a delight to be able to help him and Camus Productions create a world-class show."
(Jim Evans)
