Cover:Cover 11/07/2011 08:55 Page 1

July 2011 entertainment, presentation, installation www.lsionline.co.uk

Making Progress LSi visits Take That on tour

Also Inside . . .

Shrek the Musical ABTT in Review Technical: LEDs WOMAD: Cáceres Arrives in the West End LSi reports from The State of Play . . . Music amid bewitching beauty PLUS! . . . The NSA’s Apprentice Schemes • APG at FOMFest • RSAMD’s Audio Upgrade Midas on Broadway • Recollected Works • Audio File • Crew Cuts and more . . .

View LSi’s Digital Edition & Archive online - register FREE at www.lsionline.co.uk/digital Shrek_Musical:On tour.qxd 08/07/2011 13:38 Page 58 he_uia:ntu.x 80/011:8Pg 59 Page 13:38 08/07/2011 tour.qxd Shrek_Musical:On audience. which circumnavigates theauditoriumaboveheads ofthe Most notableofall, however, is theadditionofaflyingDragon integrated automation controlandsomerefinedvideo work. she istransformedintoanogress. There isagreaterdegreeof the flownLEDwall,andastreamlined ‘levitation’ofFionaas carrying ShrekandDonkeywithit, a trackingelementaddedto include ahydraulicropebridgewhich risesoutofthestage elements havebeenintroducedor expanded upon;these No longersubjecttotheconstraints oftouring,somenew a newdiscoverywitheveryturn.” design withmultiplelayers,likethepagesofabook.Thereis which thewholedesignhangs.Theresultfeelslikeasingle audience asthepagesareturned.Thisisvisualhookoff coloured, larger-than-life sceneswhichjumpoutatthe “We haveexploredthestyleofpop-upbookstocreatebrightly further byplacingmoreemphasisonitsstorybookorigins. referenced, butdidnotcopy, thefilm.We havepushedthis illustrations intotheBroadway‘language’whichoften Steig’sbook “(Designer) Tim HatleytranslatedWilliam Associate designer, Tim McQuillen-Wright, explains: production alittlemore‘West End’. elements andembellishmentsintroducedtomaketheUK design drawsfrombothversions,withsomeadditional the visuallanguageofBroadwayproduction,show’s Largely basedontheUStouringproduction,yetwithmuchof musicals intothestorylinewithirreverenceandalotofwind! weaves snippetsoffairystoriesandpastichesWest End andaplethoraoffairystorycharacters.Thewittyscript guarded towerandontothecourtcathedral,byaScottish swamp toLordFarquaad’s castleatDuloc,toFiona’sDragon- theMusical the original. English versionis,well,justthatlittlemorethan fairy stories,thedetailschangewithtellingand Broadway andanongoingtourofAmerica.Butlikeall the TheatreRoyalDruryLane,followingitsopeningon Shrek theMusical Dreamworks TheatricalsandNealStreetProductions’ Dreamworks Theatricals’ Royal DruryLane,followingitsopeningonBroadwayandatwo-yeartourofAmerica.But like allfairystories,thedetailschangewithtellingandEnglishversionis,well,just A Very English leads usthroughforestsfromShrek’s has finallyarrivedintheWest Endat that littlemoreEnglishthantheoriginal. the Shrek Musical Production photographybyBrinkhoffMögenburg has finallyarrivedintheWestEndatTheatre deploy the wings. a smooth,dynamic flight.Finally, internal ExlarTritex actuators internal rotationmechanism torotateaccurately, providing hexopod geometry provideenoughstabilityforthedragon’s left andrightpitchyaw. The rigidityoftherigandits diverting herleftandright,updown andallowinghertoroll strength thansteel,givecontrolover sixdegreesoffreedom, of Technora synthetic rope,whichhasahigherbreaking JimLoveandJeremyDay.of linesinstalledbyFTSI’s Sixlines The Dragonisattachedtothewinchesbyanintricatesystem riggers fromFlywireTRP. hardware wereinstalledbyGavinWetherall andhisteamof winchesand associatedrigging listed building.TheFTSI Dragon athirdpointoftravelwhilstprotectingthefabric chainhoist wereinstalledinthechandeliervoidtogive A steelpostwithextrabracingsandavariablespeed a front-of-house crawltrussinstalledbyUnusualRigging. 515winches whicharepositionedon suspended fromsixFTSI devise thebestmeansofachievingherflight.TheDragonis Scott FisherofTechnical Serviceswasbroughtinto of HowardEatonLightingLtd). a boostedLookSolutionsTiny Fogger inhermouth(courtesy incinerating LordFarquaad onthealtarwithhelpof of theMD, flappingherwingsasshegoes,beforejoyfully via acircuitousrouteatupto4.5mpersecondwithin30cm details thatcaptureherall-importantpersonality. Shedescends with acarbonfibreheadwhichallowedMCDtoretainthefacial frame. Thiswascladinalightweightfoamtoformthebody electronics, wascreatedbyMCDaroundasturdy, welded steel measuring 14ft/4.2m,weighing130lb/60kgincludingonboard lightness. Asmaller-scale versionofthestageDragon, with theemphasisonoverheadsafetyrequirementsratherthan By contrasttheflyingDragonisofquitedifferentconstruction their socksofftocreateherfluidmovementsaroundthestage. 60lb/27kg andisoperatedbyfour(veryfit)puppeteerswhorun with illuminatedeyesandflutteringeyelashes.Sheweighs aluminium andtheheadalight-weight carbonfibrecomplete hoops toholdtheshape.Thewingsareofcarbonfibreand lightness, thebodyisconstructedoffabricformedaround long creationofMichaelCurryDesignOregon.Designedfor The onstageDragon,enamouredofDonkey, isthe22ft(6.7m) The Dragon Julie Harper reports . L & S - i July 2011

theatreproduction 59 www.lsionline.co.uk Shrek_Musical:On tour.qxd 08/07/2011 13:39 Page 60 production theatre

The Dragon’s control system is completely a storage chute by a high speed winch independent of the Stage Technologies and Lord Farquaad disappears from the system that governs all on-stage audience’s view. automation. Its flight is programmed by Jim Love using FTSI Navigator 3D software on Fiona is subsequently raised 2m into the an FTSI Kinetic console. This is operated air and rotated, balanced on a bicycle seat by the show’s head of automation, Richard concealed within the altar. Six axes of ‘Tricky’ Willcox, who says: “Using Navigator movement, operated by three pneumatic we can program her flight path, rotate her and three electric motors, are employed to in the direction she is travelling, and get open doors in the altar front, move the seat feedback on how the system is performing. outwards and upwards, and to rotate whilst It’s a complex set of moves but the system being cunningly hidden from the audience gives us a lot of flexibility.” by the actress. The altar and effects were supplied by Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd. Additional music has been composed by Jeanine Tesori for the flight action and an Rope Bridge extra set of sound effects, built using Pro The 10m long rickety rope bridge which Tools, is played back on D-Mitri’s traverses the ‘lake of molten lava’ has also Wildtracks, to add more interest to the undergone a transformation, with the Drury sequence of events. Maximum use is Lane production the first to see it rise made of the surround sound with speakers directly out of the stage. located around the flight path to follow the Dragon’s movements and give it audible Two sections of stage floor are life. This helps build the audience hydraulically raised 3m above stage level apprehension and anticipation even before and form the supporting framework they can see her - especially for those between which the rope bridge is beneath the circles who have no visual suspended. Shrek and are lifted contact until the last moment. up with the platforms before walking across the bridge as it collapses, lowering The flight is lit largely by gobo breakups them back to stage level. from ETC Source Fours and Philips Vari-Lite VL3500s located below the boxes Constructed by Weld-Fab Stage on each side of the auditorium, whilst Engineering Ltd of Norfolk and clad by set smoke emanates from two Look Solutions builders Scott Fleary Productions, the Vipers with fans positioned in the mid bridge is concealed within a self-contained boxes to create atmosphere and help unit along with the hydraulic rams that disguise the suspension ropes. open out the parallelogram framework, and the arms from which the rope bridge is Fiona’s Levitation suspended, and which ensure that it falls The levitation sequence follows the back into the stage without snagging. This moment when Lord Farquaad is unit is installed on existing stage elevators incinerated, leaving nothing but a which are sandwiched between the smouldering altar cloth. This is achieved in structural remains of past productions in just four seconds using five Viper smoke the theatre’s historic substage, thus machines and six bottles (per show) of determining the bridge’s position on stage. liquid CO2 piped through valves and mixed A quiet, variable speed, hydraulic power with the smoke through floor grids to the pack, located upstage, provides power to www.lsionline.co.uk front and sides of the altar. The altar cloth raise and lower the platforms to their full disappears as it is pulled down through height of 5m (2m below stage).

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Two Look Solutions Viper smoke machines from a stage left cradle and two steel wire and six PAR cans are buried substage to ropes from a stage right cradle, to give us create the necessary ‘molten lava’ effect from enough cradle capacity. This way, each piece below. of set is actually countered on both sides of the stage.” For safety reasons, the bridge is operated from a portable control panel provided by There are seven counterweight assisted Weld-Fab to ensure stage management have pieces in all which are moved by Stage a clear line of sight with the actors throughout Technologies’ Big Tow Classic winches. The the sequence. LED wall, the heaviest piece of all at just under 2 tons, is moved by a flown SEM 115 motor Rigging & Flying and guided by legs installed in the wings by At three tons, the speaker system was one of Unusual Rigging. the heaviest theatre systems Unusual Rigging have ever installed on a front-of-house crawl Tracking LED Wall truss. The truss also carries a 10kg model Flown upstage, the 13sq.m 10mm pixel pitch donkey, made by Complete Fabrication LED screen, provided by Creative Technology, Models and Effects Ltd, for the ‘donkey drop’ is used to represent the slow passage of the (used to introduce the character of Donkey) - sun and the moon. The LEDs were the mechanics of which were supplied by programmed on a grandMA2 and run off HELL. The truss was installed using eight a grandMA1, triggering two Green Hippo 1-ton hoists, with four spreader beams placed Hippotizer V3 media servers (one of which in the front-of-house void for extra weight- acts as backup). bearing. The new tracking function is automated by The fly floor is especially busy and heavily Stage Tech’s eChameleon software Sculptor loaded with 40 flown cloths and four lighting feature enabling the wall to travel at a speed trusses, most of which carry moving lights. of 2mm per second. “It is a very slow move for Unusual Rigging had the job of flying 18 tons an axis and very unusual,” says Willcox. “With of set off the Lane’s limited house Sculptor I can set up the visual graphics on counterweight system. the desk, plot the start and end positions for the 10-minute move and the software works The house flybars were replaced with five tons out the rest to give the optimum movement of Unusual ladder beams and secondary across lift and track.” steelwork added in the roof for increased weight-bearing. Each house counterweight Willcox is also responsible for the automation cradle could only handle a maximum of on stage using a Stage Technologies control 125kg, so these were replaced by Unusual’s system. This consists of four AU:tour 6 and own, each of which can handle up to 1.5 tons. one AU:tour 1 with an Acrobat.G6 console For three of the flown pieces, which weigh running the eChameleon software. Each over 1400kg each, several of the cradles were AU:tour 6 cabinet runs 6 axis at variable connected together to triple or quadruple their speed allowing the operator to run timed normal capacity. moves of anything from 5 seconds to 10 minutes. It controls a total of 25 axes of Simon Stone, project manager for Unusual movement, including six floor tracks, 11 Rigging, explains: “We took advantage of the sliders and portals, the lift and tracking of the fact that the theatre has 125 counterweight LED screen, a counterweight lift and tracking sets, split between both sides of the stage: so of flying redwood trees, plus five further flying www.lsionline.co.uk every flown piece has two steel wire ropes pieces.

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Crew & Creatives

Directors Jason Moore and Rob Ashford

Designers

production Tim Hatley, Tim McQuillen-Wright (associate)

Stage Technologies Director: Ted Moore

theatre Mechanical engineer: Charlie Ellis Project manager: Simon Roberts Project engineer: Chris Havard Electrical engineer: David Hayler

Fisher Technical Services Scott Fisher & Jim Love The floor tracks and slider trusses are built a manual move. We then decided to Automation by Weld-Fab and run on timing belt drives automate it and it’s now controlled by the Head: Richard ‘Tricky’ Willcox with Stage Tech servo motors moving the AU:tour 1 driving a Big Tow Classic. It sliders on rubber-toothed belts. The scenic proves the Stage Tech’ system is flexible Deputy head: Adam Calver sliders are connected overhead to 10 enough to be able to cope with these fast Automation assistant: Chris Goode further Stage Technologies servo motors. changes.” Unusual Rigging Stage Technologies project manager, Willcox also operates the FTSI Navigator Senior Rigger: Simon Stone Simon Roberts, says: “The system gives desk to fly the Dragon. “It’s the first West Design Engineer: Jeremy Featherstone the flexibility to run counterweights, sliders, End show for the Navigator and a steep Riggers: Chris Evans, Craig Warlow, whatever you want. By automating them learning curve for me, as it is a different Mark Davis we can achieve consistency and a high operating system from the Acrobat. Jim degree of safety, which is important for has been a great help and I am impressed Sound such a technical show. with how it has all gone together. The Sound designer: Peter Hylenski eChameleon’s and Navigator’s virtual Sound associate: Chris Full “We worked closely throughout with graphics means I can monitor every single Head of sound: Mark Karrie Unusual Rigging and Stage Services, who scene change which is vital when it is so Sound No.2: Robin Conway fitted the winches. It’s a close collaboration busy. Between the two systems we can do Sound No.3: Claire Hibberd between all the departments from the some pretty impressive stuff.” Sound supplier: Autograph designer down.” Finally, Willcox also operates a laptop Lighting & Video Willcox agrees with Roberts. “One of the running a Kinesys Vector system to control Lighting designer: Hugh Vanstone biggest challenges was integrating so two lighting trusses on variable speed UK associate lighting designer: many different contractors. There are two chain hoists, all of which was provided by Matt Daw automation control companies and many Unusual Rigging. US associate lighting designer: set builders involved, including Howard Philip Rosenberg Eaton Lighting Ltd, Terry Murphy Scenery, Lighting Senior production electrician: Scott Fleary Ltd, Souvenir Scenery, TR2 The lighting brief was largely based on that Fraser Hall (Theatre Royal Plymouth Production of the US tour and recreated for Drury Centre) and Weld-Fab Stage Engineering Lane by Hugh Vanstone with the Production electricians: Ltd. The relationship between departments assistance of UK associate lighting Richard Mence, Simon Targett has been key to the success of the designer Matt Daw. The primary requisite is Moving lights programmers: production.” to bring a heightened quality to the bright, Jonathan Rowse, Dave Sadler bold costumes and sets. UK media associate & programmer: As head of automation, programmer and Duncan McLean show operator, it is Willcox’s job to bridge Vanstone’s rig is based around a core of US media associate: Laura Frank the gap between the FTSI and Stage Philips Vari-Lite equipment: VL3000 Spots, Lighting supplier: White Light Technologies control systems. “It was fairly VL3000 Washes, VL3500 framing spots Video supplier: Creative Technology straightforward to program the show on and VL500 80V tungsten washlights, as the Acrobat with the eChameleon well as Martin Professional TW1 tungsten Set Building visualisation software,” he says. “I was washlights. Howard Eaton Lighting Ltd, Terry able to pre-program a lot from the detailed Murphy Scenery, Scott Fleary Ltd, storyboard and measurements provided These fixtures are rigged across four Souvenir Scenery, TR2 Theatre Royal by Tim McQuillen-Wright. Patrick [Stanier, overhead lighting bars: VL500 80V Plymouth Production Centre, Weld- DSM] could email me any changes from tungsten fixtures positioned on the two fab Stage Engineering Ltd rehearsal, after which it was a case of downstage bars create mid-air effects, fine-tuning what was already in place. while VL3000 spots and washes rigged on Cloth Painting the Kinesys-driven upstage bars cater for Gordon Aldred, Alasdair Brotchie, “Each week something was added - for the changing deads throughout the show. example, the performer lift in Lord

www.lsionline.co.uk Andy Greenfield, Eugene Neilson, Richard Nutbourne, Julie Perren Farquaard’s Castle. This was built by Terry Cross-light is provided by VL3000 spots, Murphy Scenery and started life as VL3000 washes and TW1 fixtures on five

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Top, L-R: The Rigging & Automation team: Simon Stone (Unusual Rigging), Adam Calvert, Simon Roberts (project manager, Stage Tech), Richard ‘Tricky’ Willcox and Chris Goode.

Middle, left: Associate set designer Tim McQuillen-Wright; Middle, right, L-R: The sound team - Peter Hylenski (sound designer), Mark Karrie (head of sound) and Chris Full (sound associate).

Above, left: Jim Love of FTSI. Above, right, L-R: Fraser Hall (senior production electrician), Duncan McLean (media associate & programmer), Matt Daw (associate LD), Jonathan Rowse (lighting programmer).

pairs of dead-hung lighting ladders. iPix BB4 and PixelRange PixelLine 1044 LED fixtures are located behind the groundrows, augmented by L&E battens for scenic and cyclorama lighting.

Front-of-house, four VL3500s, with VL500 80V tungsten units on the proscenium, do most of the work, with additional washes provided by ETC Source Fours, used sparingly for ‘extra kick’. Three Robert Juliat Lancelot 4kW HTI followspots were chosen for their punch over the long throw distances of one of London’s largest theatres.

On stage, low smoke is fed from four Le Maitre LSG liquid CO2 machines through eight HELL pop-ups. Two MDG Atmosphere Haze machines and two Look Solutions Unique Hazers, located in the wings, provide fast, ambient smoke, while a Tiny Fogger concealed within the campfire and a roving Viper on a dolly complete the atmospheric line-up.

The installation team consists of senior production electrician Fraser Hall and his team of Richard Mence and Simon Targett. The show was programmed by Jonathan Rowse and Dave Sadler and is controlled from an MA Lighting grandMA console. All lighting and smoke equipment is provided by West End stalwarts, White Light Ltd.

Video Video has become a prominent force within theatre and Vanstone has worked hard to redefine its use in theatre lighting since his previous collaboration with Hatley on in 2005. Here, video is used to enhance, not dominate, the lighting. Effects range from the obvious such as moving clouds, fireworks and green sparkles during Fiona’s www.lsionline.co.uk levitation, to subtle embellishment of the gold trim on the book

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bindings in the giant bookcase, heightened “Video is very effective in enhancing the set but this makes it difficult to integrate with colour in individual leaves and blades of and is a great help for the lighting as the set amplified content so we had to devise grass, or subtle emphasis of the brickwork of dressing is already dealt with,” says Daw. a system that would ideally complement the the Duloc Castle sliders. The audience might “Projection can’t compete with lighting in the acoustics.” not consciously be aware of this but the brighter scenes but it is a very effective way effect gives an enriched, hyper-real, cartoon- of treating the set with this kind of show.” “The intention is to take the idea of the like quality. original and translate it into the new The projector and video system is supplied equipment. We have retained some key tools production Video content was created by UK media by Creative Technology and mounted in from the previous shows, such as the Studer associate and programmer, Duncan a custom-built box made by Andy Latham Vista 5 console, which we have used as McLean, using original footage from the US Scenery. a starting point to build the system for this tour showfile (from US media associate and show. It is refreshingly easy to use after using Sound other digital desks in theatre. It is quick to programmer, Laura Frank) as a basic theatre All sound equipment for Shrek has been program, rather like an old analogue blueprint. Using a Canon 400D digital provided by that other West End stalwart, console, which means we can spend more camera fixed in position beside the Barco Autograph. The system features a mix of time making the show sound good instead of 20K FLM R20 projector situated on the front loudspeaker brands, including d&b programming!” of the Upper Circle, McLean took photos of audiotechnik, Meyer, Martin Audio, the set from which he cut out the parts L-Acoustics and EM Acoustics; amplification The show has a large musical dynamic requiring emphasis. These were then placed is from d&b and Lab.gruppen. Microphones ranging from rock to traditional musical style on a grid and over-painted before being too are a plentiful mix of brands (see so the system had to cope with both ends of ‘transformed’ or keystoned with Photoshop. equipment list) though the radio systems are that spectrum. The surround sound, absent The corrected images were then projected to all Sennheiser. A Soundcraft-Studer Vista from the touring production, has been form the highlights that enhance aspects of 5SR mixing console sits at front-of-house. reinstated, whilst the onstage effects the set. speakers were re-worked to fit the new set. Sound designer Peter Hylenski based his These add realism for the on-stage Dragon, The video system is based around Green sound design on a mix of the original but otherwise most equipment is in the Hippo Hippotizer V3s which McLean was Broadway show and US tour, which sound auditorium. able to program using a grandMA2. The associate Chris Full translated into the main grandMA triggers the Hippotizer to run environment of Drury Lane. “This set is much The tour structure has been retained for the the cues while Green Hippo Zookeeper more of a traditional English flown set, orchestra, now located in the pit instead of software monitors all its layers (eight for the alternating front of tabs and onstage split into separate rooms as for the projection and four for the LED wall) which scenes,” says Full. “Drury Lane’s old-style Broadway production. “It was a bit of are then networked together. acoustics work well without a sound system a squeeze since we had to make enough www.lsionline.co.uk

64 L&Si - July 2011 he_uia:ntu.x 80/011:1Pg 65 Page 13:41 08/07/2011 tour.qxd Shrek_Musical:On actors andtheprostheticsdepartmenttofind sound teamhadtoworkcloselywiththe sound ofthemicrophonesisimmense.The character wearssomeandtheeffecton amount ofprostheticsinuse.Almostevery On stagethegreatestchallengeis 3 systemofearliershows,”saysFull. new andmuchmorepowerfulthantheMatrix the rockandtraditionalelements.“It’svery elements oftheshowtogetherandbalance engine, whichFull andHylenskiusetomix DigitalAudioPlatformandDSPMatrix D-Mitri The hubofthesoundeffectssystemis to makethecharacterslargerthanlife.” simultaneously introducingthefunelements have anemotionalresponse,whilst acceptably connectedtothecharacters they areinadifferentenvironmentand a finebalancetomaketheaudiencebelieve setting andunrealisticcomiceffects.“It’s to achieveatrickymixofrealisticscene- for comedyvalue,leavingHylenskiandFull roars, popsandfarts-areusedfrequently manner. Soundeffects-suchasburps, drawing theaudienceinconventional sounds, jumpingoffthe‘page’ratherthan had tobereflectedinthewayshow The show’slarger-than-life characteristics musicians!” saysFull. through thepitwithoutdisturbing room forDonkeytomakehisentrance experience oftheAmericanteamandhone “We wereabletodrawonthepast process andareallabouroflove!” make anyadjustments.Itwasapainstaking error, andwithonlyonechanceperdayto effect soitwasverymuchacaseoftrialand even aslittlequarterofaninchhadabig own individualset.Movingthemicrophone actor wasdifferentandallhadtohavetheir the mouldofhead,”saysFull. “Each each actorbreathes,theshapeofface, functional. “We hadtotakeintoaccount how solutions thatwerebothcomfortableand the tonicyoumightnotknowneeded. Bright BeautifulWorld atDruryLaneandjust and-a-half hoursanightitiscertainlyBig hard, peoplewanttobeentertained.For two- in theWest Endagain,butwhentimesare some criticismabouttheamountofmusicals for bothadultsandchildren.Theremaybe Shrek theMusical depth.” The resultisafreshproductionwithlotof quickly withnewideasandbemorebold. approach. Thishasenabledustogoforward the presentproductionwithalearned hits thenailonhead L & S - i July 2011 theatreproduction

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