Designer Bruce French used the central mezzanine walkway to advantage by designing identical stage sets on either side. Stage one's challenge was to turn the concept into reality. The back wall of each set comprised a three-level steel structure, each level having a series of cubicles. The bottom level was used as a series of entrances for dancers and other support artists, the second level cubicles had perspex windows through which the invited audience could see a variety of entertainment activities taking place, and the top floor was a series of LED screens the same size as the cubicles beneath.
The entire wall could be concealed behind three sliding panels, controlled by Stage One's versatile 'Q Motion' system which was used to precisely choreograph the panels with the performers on stage and in the cubicles. When closed, the entire back wall appeared to be made of concrete. On the outside end of the cubicles, a separate, angled wall provided a doorway set some two metres above the stage and joined to it by means of a steel and Perspex 'diva' staircase. Performers including Shirley Bassey, Christine Aguilera and Miss Dynamite emerged to entertain the audience and be filmed by MTV. Surrounding each doorway, a wire-framed sphere lined with neon formed a striking surround to the door.
In front of the cubicle wall, large stages with circular forestages and a long catwalk were constructed from steel with an open substructure, clad in perspex and uplit to provide the 'fashion' theme for Siemen's Xelibri phone range. Stage One included perforated mesh around the circular performance areas, allowing the use of smoke and additional lighting effects.
(Lee Baldock)
