Rigging / Staging

The rugby ball-shaped stage built by ESS at Telstra Stadium.

ESS scrum down in Sydney

Details: 14 March 2016

Australia - While most of us were busy watching the Rugby World Cup, the crew from ESS Australia were in the thick of preparations for the opening and closing ceremonies as well as a few things in between. For the opening ceremony at Telstra Stadium, ESS built a mobile rugby ball-shaped stage measuring 14m by 8m on which Australian band George performed. This stage was also used for Australian singing icon Kate Cebrano for her performance during the closing ceremony. A number of other structures were built around the stadium by ESS including the orchestra stage. "Considering the cast and crew for the opening ceremony numbered around 2,500, it all came together remarkably smoothly," commented Iain Barclay, ESS's man in Australia.

ESS also supplied one of their new, q50 type stages, built to a larger size of 14.4m by 9.6m at the Opera House for the show 'Rugby on the Hou

Stereophonics finale with Star Events and XTA

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - The Star Events Group installed a Vertech stage and supplied the rigging used by the Stereophonics to rock Cardiff's Millennium Stadium this December, for the final date of their European Tour, with support acts Ocean Colour Scene and Feeder.

The band's European tour took in 28 dates before its curtain down in Cardiff, with a total of 18 sell-out gigs in the UK. Having played a range of arenas on the tour, the shift up to a stadium sized show for their 'home crowd' of 52,000 meant a significant increase in the scale of the show for production manager Neil Macdonald. Where possible Macdonald stuck with the main tour suppliers for the finalé show (sound system from Capital Sound, lighting from VLPS London, catering by Eat to the Beat), however to create a visually spectacular setting for the band a specialist large scale stage was required, so he turned to suppliers Pete Hol

https://www.claypaky.it/products/ultimo-hybrid/

Stage Technologies automates Kylie's launch

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Described by the Daily Mail as "visually one of Kylie's best" the princess of pop Kylie Minogue used a one-off concert at London's Hammersmith Apollo to launch her latest album Body Language. The show took the same amount of design time, preparation and production as a whole tour and incorporated Paris street scenes, huge steel constructions and a motorbike to boot.

Stage Technologies, in conjunction with The Rigging Partnership, provided the scenic wow factor for the show with an automation system to complement the starlet's visual extravaganza. For her grand entrance they used four Big Tow winches to lower her onto the stage on a mechanical girder, as characterized on the Body Language album cover, with a further two monster LED screens tracking up and down stage. With four thousand screaming fans and a number one from the album already under her b

AFI provides lift for Concert Lights

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Two AFI boom lifts were among 13 hired by Concert Lights Ltd to help it install rigging for lighting, sound and video for a banking conference held recently at the NEC in Birmingham. Concert Lights of Bolton in Lancashire required 13 machines to carry out the installation work because the conference was held in three different halls within the NEC.

Working on a phased basis over 10 days, the company used the boom lifts to attach over 300 electric motors to the roof of the NEC in order to lift the structures that support the lighting, sound and video equipment. The AFI machines on hire to Concert Lights had working heights from 5.7m up to 25m. One of the largest machines - the Haulotte H25 TPX boom (see above picture) proved to be particularly versatile because its rotating jib enables the operator to gain better access by manoeuvring the cage into different positions in rel

New investment for Stagecraft

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Stagecraft has made a major investment in new hire equipment to enable organizations to use cutting-edge sound and lighting technology in their performances. The company has seen a significant increase in the demand for professional lighting, sound and staging equipment during 2003 and is currently working on installations in schools, event management for music and drama festivals, and on conferences in South Africa.

The Hire and Live Events department was recently responsible for the creative design and technical management of seven major events over three weeks. One of these included a 1920s themed event for a 60th birthday celebration. "Centred around the art deco period, this was a great event to work on," commented technical director Mike Naish. "Our team was involved from the very start of the planning stages. We designed the invitations, set, lighting

Summit at Queen Mary 2 naming

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Summit Steel co-ordinated all production rigging elements of the show that celebrated the naming of Cunard's new flagship ocean liner, the Queen Mary 2. Summit also supplied a specialist video screen tracking system for a large LED screen supplied by XL Video.

The 1,132 ft long, 17 deck, 150,000 tonne vessel - the largest liner in the world - was officially named by Her Majesty The Queen at Southampton Docks. Summit was working for event producer Robbie Williams. The 2200 plus VIP audience, royal box and the event stage were all encased in a customized ESS 'theatre', located on the dockside, just adjacent to the ship. The rear stage 'wall' was made from a transparent material, and the structure was strategically angled to line up with the ship's bow. A stylish kabuki drop revealed the QM2's name on the bow - through the back wall - acting as an atmospheric stage backdrop.

The Fun Company formed

Details: 14 March 2016

Germany - This month sees the launch of a new show control systems specialist company, The Fun Company show control systems Ltd - which promises to "put the fun back into the entertainment controls industry". The Fun Company is a developer and manufacturer of professional show control systems that will "bring a new level of sophistication and integration to lighting, video and audio environments".

The company has been formed by industry veterans who are dedicated to show control products that will make a real difference for operators, designers, and the audience. The company's products will incorporate innovative solutions for hardware, software, and networking, as well as what it claims will be unique user interfaces.

The-Fun-Company is a multinational enterprise, with offices in Germany, Scandinavia, North America, and the UK, enabling it to provide re

Visual act to modernize Oslo fly system

Details: 14 March 2016

Norway - Visual act has been awarded the contract to modernize the flying system for the Norwegian Theatre in Oslo. The work involves replacing the drive electronics for 109 fly bars and point hoists. The Visual act Stage Control System to be installed will include three operator desks and redundant servers and positioning computers. One of the operator desks will be wireless for use on the stage during set-up and in the house during rehearsals.

In selecting a supplier, the theatre referred to Visual act's flexibility and forward-looking technical features. The system is open and can easily be expanded to control under stage machinery or other elements. The user inteface will be specially adapted to fit the theatre's working routines.

The current computer system, installed in 1985, is still effective even by modern standards. It allows for the simultaneous operation of any num

Stage Technologies meets the demon barber

Details: 14 March 2016

UK/USA - In a co-production with the Lyric Opera of Chicago, directed by Neil Armstrong, The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Sweeney Todd made his debut on the stage of the Royal Opera House in December last year. Finishing its run last week, it has had mixed fortunes, with the critics having given it a bashing on both sides of the Atlantic, firstly questioning whether Sweeney Todd is in fact an opera at all, and secondly whether it is appropriate for it to be gracing the stages of two of the mostly highly-revered opera houses in the world.

Critics aside, audiences were not deterred and the production played to packed houses for the majority of its run, with Brian Thompson's set design appearing to receive praise from all quarters. The play opens to a large cage, whose interior swiftly adapts to be a town square, a barber shop, a Victorian parlour or a lunatic asylum

Single-axis automation for Stratford East

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Patrick Prior and Robert Hyman's Christmas panto production of Red Riding Hood finished its run at the Theatre Royal, Stratford East last week. In what's been described as a terrific 21st century version of the classic fairytale, Patrick Prior's script is anything but tame, with audience members of all ages shouting 'Shout! Shake! Make that Wolfie heave!' in an attempt to release Dame, Red and the three little pigs from the big bad Wolf!

Leading automation suppliers Stage Technologies bought Nick Baren's set to life by providing automation for this production using a four-line winch and Saxis control console. Production manager Richard Eustace needed a cost-effective and simple automation solution to fly in a projector screen, quickly and safely. Stratford East's own manual-flying system would not have been able to achieve this effect quickly enough without some form

LM Productions around the world

Details: 14 March 2016

USA / India / Nigeria - Sussex-based LM Productions report a string of recent international projects. Firstly, continuing its 'Live It, Love It' campaign, the Hong Kong Tourism Board contracted LM Productions LLP for their first StratoFantasia event in the USA. The event took place in San Francisco over two days with the main focal point of the multimedia show being LM Productions 50ft (15m) diameter StratoSphere, with a new internal blackout dome, which allows the StratoSphere to be used as a venue with internal projection during the day. This is made possible by the blackout dome being inflated inside the StratoSphere, thus providing a cover from the light outside. The event contained elements of live performances from musicians and dancers as well as full dome video and laser effects inside the StratoSphere. There was a steady stream of people viewing the shows, which started e

Flooring storage from Harlequin

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - The new Roll Storage Cart from British Harlequin is designed to ease the problems of safe storage and easy handling of rolls of vinyl flooring for dance and performance spaces. With Harlequin's popular dance flooring widely used for temporary applications, where the floor is rolled out to provide a suitable performance surface, then stored away or transported to a new venue, the new Roll Storage Cart will both speed up the process and provide a compact and safe storage facility.

The newly designed cart holds up to 10 rolls of Harlequin Studio flooring each 1.5m long and carts have already supplied to The Oslo National College of Arts and to Tanztendenz, a choreographic centre in Munich. Elsewhere, three larger Storage Carts, each suitable for storing 2m long Harlequin Cascade rolls, have been delivered to the Centre National de la Danse in Pantin, Paris.

(Lee Baldock)

Core business for Northern Light

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Northern Light has announced a number of changes to its operation to allow it to concentrate on its core business, which the company reports is currently expanding. The company says the changes will allow further development of its project installation, engineering and manufacturing divisions, which are currently handling some 30 projects throughout the UK - including the new Gateshead Music Centre, Newcastle College Performance Academy, Perth Concert Hall and the Tally Ho Arts Centre at Finchley in North London.

The Reading office will close at the end of March and all matters relating to overseas sales will now be referred to the head office in Edinburgh. Derek Gilbert will continue to work with the company as a consultant. The Audio Visual arm of Northern Light, based at Reading and known as Immedia, will close and all AV contracts and sales will be handled through Immed

Stage Technologies extends with Anything Goes

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Currently breaking box office records at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, Trevor Nunn's acclaimed National Theatre production of the Cole Porter musical comedy Anything Goes has extended its booking period yet again. Having recently transferred to the West End, the production originally opened in the Olivier Theatre at the National where it picked up the prestigious 2003 Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Musical Production.

Set design is particularly impressive, with the Theatre Royal Drury Lane - one of London's largest stages - filled with John Gunter's recreation of an Atlantic liner. Since the production's transfer, Stage Technologies has taken over the automation for the show, providing revolve and a hand-held Saxis controller.

Since its launch last year, the Saxis has proved a popular addition to the rental department, having already been used to control si

Allegro at British Dance Edition 2004

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - When Walker Dance Park Music were invited to perform their unique style of dance at British Dance Edition 2004 in Cambridge, it was British Harlequin's Allegro flooring that organizers Dance East requested to convert a wooden concert stage into a suitable dance floor. Described as a 'distinct marriage of music and dance' Walker Dance Park Music, an associate company of the Royal Opera House, presented Silence of the Soul at the West Road Concert Hall in a performance sponsored by British Harlequin at BDE 2004.

Harlequin's Allegro floor, especially developed for such situations, is the thickest roll-out floor currently available and offers high quality protection against hard sub-floors, such as concrete, to provide a 'semi-sprung' dance floor. Allegro can be used as a loose lay floor that is tough, that always lays flat and provides an excellent dance surface to hel

ChainMaster steps up trade show profile

Details: 14 March 2016

Germany - ChainMaster Bühnentechnik is set to significantly heighten its profile at trade shows both inside and outside Germany in order to improve communication with contractors and others interested in its products, the company reports.

As well as attending a greater number of trade shows, the company will also increase its stand size at the ProLight & Sound (Hall 8.0 Booth F74) in Frankfurt by 40%. As Frank Hartung, ChainMaster's managing director, explained: "We want to be able to show our chain hoists and chain hoist controllers in action, whilst at the same time retaining enough room to conduct an unhurried dialogue with our customers in comfort. This was not possible with the booth design we had before."

This year, ChainMaster is presenting a new-look catalogue at ProLight&Sound, and will be demonstrating not only the highly successful BGV C1 chain hoists, V

PCM at City of Norwich School

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - PCM's Projects team has been embracing education again - this time around in an interesting installation at the City of Norwich School, where the company designed and specified a bespoke trussing flying system for the school's assembly hall, which dates back to 1910. PCM's project team of Tony Griffiths and Tony Dickson - along with Pfaff Silberblau's Pete Ashford - worked closely with locally based lighting and sound installers Embee Lighting, led by Mark Bailey. As a specialist supplier, Embee was asked by the School's buildings contractor Environ Ltd (formally ABB), to tender for the supply and install of new lighting and sound equipment for the hall. The idea was to transform the limited-use hall into a multi-purpose venue.

The hall's voluminous roof void was an obvious 'dead' space to try and utilize in the name of technical production. However, the roof had no weight

Maltbury Expands School's Options

Details: 14 March 2016

UK - Many schools would be glad of a hall as spacious as that at Cavendish School, Eastbourne. However, director of Arts Bruce Sibley was finding the old-style high stage and proscenium arch layout restrictive. He wanted a more flexible environment, in which traditional end-on productions could be mixed with in-the-round or traverse performances. He also wanted to be able to raise either the performers or the audience - or both.

Sibley contacted staging specialist Maltbury Ltd who visited the school and discussed the options. The versatile Metrodeck system was chosen and Maltbury drew up a detailed package of equipment. Maltbury supplied 60 Metrodeck units, a carefully selected range of legs, 36 handrails and storage solutions for everything. As a result, the school can raise an area of 120sq.m or build tiers seating 232 people - not to mention countless combinations of the two

ChainMaster at the SIB

Details: 14 March 2016

Germany / Italy - German chain hoist manufacturer Chainmaster Bühnentechnik will again this year be presenting its products at the SIB exhibition in Rimini, Italy, in conjunction with its Italian distribution partner, Risam for Show srl of Cologno Monzese, as part of its continuing aim to develop contact with customers and others interested in its products.
This year, ChainMaster will be introducing its new-look catalogue at SIB, as well as demonstrating not only the highly successful BGV C1 chain hoists, VarioLifts and VarioTrolleys but also its latest software solutions for the control of stage equipment.
Chainmaster can be found at SIB on Booth 087, Hall A5.
(Lee Baldock)

LAMDA plays host to Triple E party

Details

14 March 2016

UK - On Saturday 28 February, the entrance of LAMDA in West London was festooned with balloons to welcome guests to a joint celebration of Triple E's 20th anniversary and managing director David Edelstein's birthday. As a past student of the Academy, Edelstein's connections continue to this day, with Triple E last year providing curtain and tracking for five of the rehearsal studios at LAMDA. The black box studio was transformed for the evening with the addition of a stage, complete with trussing, tracking and lighting, and colleagues from all areas of the entertainment industry - technicians, theatre consultants and acousticians, and colleagues from the ABTT - joined with family and friends for an evening of conversation and good wine. While the food was definitely 21st century, the entertainment was designed to take people back to their youth - The Upbeat Beatles made the evenin

Rental-Source launched

Details

14 March 2016

USA - Industry veterans Gary Mass and Nick Freed have teamed up with Gear-Source president Marcel Fairbairn to form a new venture - Rental-Source - modeled in part after Fairbairn's successful web-based business, Gear Source. Rental-Source will serve today's production needs with a 'single source' method of locating production equipment of all types.
With backgrounds in manufacturing and production, managing partners Gary Mass and Nick Freed will head efforts to solve the many man-hours spent sourcing equipment for production purposes. Working in tune with an extensive worldwide vendor base and an easy-to-use web design for locating the most cost-effective, and logistically suitable rental equipment, Rental-Source promises to ease the ever-growing process of completing a production.
"Over the past 10 years or so, we've noticed an incredible incline in the need for product

ChromaDeck on daytime TV

Details

14 March 2016

UK - A new morning TV show, OK!TV, made in conjunction with OK magazine and presented by Ronan Keating and Gail Porter, made its debut on ITV 1 on 16 January. Running in place of This Morning for the duration of half-term week, the producers knew that the audience would differ, with children and students tuning in as well as their usual viewers, and so the 'look' of the set had to reflect this difference.
Arts director Anthony Cartlidge explained: "We really wanted to make the viewers realize that although they were tuning in to the same channel and the same time slot, OK!TV is very different from This Morning. We have a 'bar' area where presenters and guests can sit and chat casually, a soft seating area, a performance space and a fashion runway which is built using LiteStructures ChromaDeck."
ChromaDeck combines the strength of LiteDeck

The Centaur at Cheltenham

Details

14 March 2016

UK - In a bold move likely to impact on the region for years to come, the management of Cheltenham Racecourse has decided to go 'all out' in their development programme with the construction of a flagship new 4,000-capacity entertainment venue - The Centaur at Cheltenham.
The Centaur is a multi-purpose indoor venue, and ranks as one of the most modern and flexible entertainment centres in the South West of England. The response to initial marketing of the arena has been quite remarkable, and the bookings diary is already looking extremely busy for the next 24 months.
This purpose-built auditorium can accommodate 2,200 people seated and 4,000 standing. The state-of-the-art LiteDeck staging system from LiteStructures forms the basis for a variety of function layouts, ranging from sporting events and concerts, to conferences and exhibitions.
Peter Allison, technical manager for

ELP creates groundbreaking grid

Details

14 March 2016

UK - ELP recently installed a temporary theatre grid into The Royal Festival Hall (RFH) which the company says will significantly improve rigging efficiency for touring theatre productions.
Although normally a concert platform, with no proscenium arch or flying grid, the RFH does host traditional theatre, including recent productions of The Nutcracker and Swan Lake by Russia's Stanislavski Ballet. Typically, rigging contractors are brought in to transform the hall into a working proscenium arch theatre, with a flying grid and track system for moving scenery and lighting during performances.
However, ELP's MD Ronan Willson, AutoCAD specialist Tim Williamson and project manager Toby Dare came up with a unique approach which eliminated most of the problems encountered by previous systems.
A Supertruss structure, interlaced with a series of aluminium 'I' beams, increased the he

Continuity makes for a polished BRITs production

New Technical Sales Support from PROEL

RMS at Prolight+Sound 2004

Stage Technologies gain the ultimate accolade

Joint venture increases business for LiteStructures

Blackout Reveals New Website

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