UK - Based on the box office hits of Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL, Magic Mike Live! is a 360-degree dance and acrobatic spectacular. Conceived by the film’s original star Channing Tatum, the show takes place at London’s Hippodrome Casino and features heart-racing dance routines that take place in front of, above and around the audience.
Due to the immersive nature of the performance, the show has to ensure that its performers are fully safe at all times. As such, they asked Solutions On Stage to design, manufacture and test bespoke steelwork for a specific track used throughout the show, which had to meet the necessary requirements for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Solutions On Stage’s technical director Darren Williams comments: “A request came in from the technical team for us to inspect the suspension of a section of track used in the show. Whilst the track is part of the performance, it also acts as a piece of PPE and therefore has to meet exacting safety standards.”
When it comes to any equipment being used for PPE, this has to be installed appropriately and tested to a certain force – in this case a force of six kilonewtons (600kg). This would more than adequately hold individual performers during their scenes on the walkway, as well as act as a work restraint. Williams comments: “We created a mock-up of what had been installed in the Hippodrome space in order to test the mid-span suspensions. Whilst an initial solution proved to not be strong enough, we then trialled a box steel alternative which more than adequately passed the required test criteria”.
Following this, Williams had their fabricator manufacture and powder coat the box steel before the team returned to the Hippodrome to replace the specific suspensions.
Williams comments: “The show had a maintenance week in which various upgrades were taking place, meaning this was our only window to install the steelwork. Once all of the new steel sections were in place and suitably fixed to the track (which had to remain in place), we then tested its durability by moving the full 600kg across the track. We also tested a track fixed to the balustrade that the performers use. From this, we could clearly see the installation would more than withstand the requisite weight and that it would now be completely safe for the performers to use.
“Whilst shows like Magic Mike Live! are ambitious and offer audiences something unique, this comes with certain caveats – in this case, having to go beyond the normal expectations when it comes to the safety of the performers, and as a result, the audience. We were thrilled to not only come on board and identify the issue but also provide a solution with which the customer was extremely happy.”
