Echoing the original West End design, the art deco-influenced set was designed by Tom Pye with significant input from his associate, Tim McQuillen-Wright. Bespoke staging company, Brilliant Stages, has constructed specialist components within the set.
The main band rostra, which carry the 16-strong Big Band, was the first section to receive the Brilliant Stages treatment. This three-tiered structure maintains the art deco look with a retro silver and black finish to each fascia, complete with soft black leather trim and brushed silver 'corrugated' risers. Each fascia incorporates concealed, clear, non-neon lighting acting as down-lighters on the corrugated risers, whilst the bottom fascia conceals a line of flexi-neon augmented by a defining row of golf-ball lamps.
Nik Rea, Sinatra's production manager reports: "Because we are touring theatres, not arenas, fork lift trucks for loading and unloading are not an option. Brilliant Stages therefore built the band rostra in smaller aluminium sections, rather than the larger steel pieces of the static West End show, making them lighter and easy to move. The fascias were designed to break down into six pieces for which they also created a 6-shelf dolly, fully carpeted, for the sections to slide into. This makes load-in easy in the absence of a fork lift, since the carts fit through doors, down ramps and directly into the hold of an aeroplane."
Central to the show is the video footage of Sinatra himself, narrating his life story and singing his greatest hits as he 'performs' alongside the present day cast of singers, dancers and musicians. Much of the footage has never been seen before and, as such, forms the pivotal point of the show's design.
Brilliant Stages are responsible for creating the all-important 13m wide by 9m high Brilliant Roll View Screen, a variation on the traditional bottom roll up projection screen.
Brilliant Stages also constructed a total of four, slightly overlapping, Kabuki drops, each measuring 3m wide by 9m high, which are dropped in as diaphanous masks across a floating projection of the singer.
(Jim Evans)
