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 video screen was rigged over the stage and split into two halves measuring 5.6m wide by 4.3m high and tracked on and offstage and weighed in at approximately five tonnes. At one stage, the screen showed historical footage from the Cunard archives including the launch of the first Queen Mary in 1936. A winch and tracking system moved it, complete with load cell monitoring.
Rigging for all technical departments was co-ordinated in advance by Summit's team led by Jon Bray. Bray liaised with lighting (Neg Earth), sound (Britannia Row) and drapes (Blackout) contractors to produce a detailed rigging plot for the ESS engineers to check the roof loadings. Having a detailed rigging plot also allowed for a quick pre-rig during a small window of opportunity while the roof was at a working height.
The theatrical show - featuring orchestra, chorus and performances by Heather Small and Lesley Garrett onstage and an external firework finale - was designed by Mark Fisher and lit by Patrick Woodroffe.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
