Newcastle Theatre Royal - Summer 2006
Planning a theatre refurbishment programme is never an easy task, especially when you consider that theatres simply can not afford to go dark for more than is absolutely necessary. This was very much the case in the summer of 2006 in Newcastle where the burning question was how quickly the stage and flying system refurbishment could be done. By any standards, the refurbishment programme was massive - virtually gutting the stage area. The project team of Simon Tiernan, Mike Philpott and Chris Johnson scheduled both the removal of existing flying facilities and the new installation with meticulous attention to detail. Time was tight with three weeks to remove the old flying system and only 8 weeks to install the new one.
The new flying system benefits from a range of features, which are designed to improve the working environment backstage. Although some of these improvements appear to be obvious, they are not generally found around the country and make an enormous difference to the day to day backstage operation.
Starting at the top, the nylon sheaves make operation quieter. The unconventional grid is made of a glass reinforced plastic based on a structural composite used widely in industry, particularly gantries. There are no wires to step over, because the entire rigging solution is presented underneath the grid. Lift up the hatches in the grid and you have access to the pulleys for maintenance. The clear surface makes life easy for spotlines and specials with a bespoke kit of parts fitting above and into the grid system.
The ladder beams are all calibrated and powder coated, hence cutting out the need for a steady build up of old pvc tape rings. The flying cradles are front loading with a set of blue weights to match the self load and black weights for use when under load. For Health & Safety reasons, weights are 4.5 kilos each and have an offset groove at the front end. This enables the flyman to easily load and unload without traping fingers and without an excessive load on the upper part of the body whilst the arm is outstretched.
Unusual have installed a cradle overhaul system where a chain hoist running up and downstage on a beam just below the headblocks can be attached to any cradle. This system will lift a fully loaded double purchase cradle. In addition, a simple dumb waiter lift runs from the stage level to all other working levels. The whole loading process is now much easier. The general idea is to bring as much common sense as possible into the process of flying.
Working closely with Mark Priestly of theatre consultants, Charcoalblue and the main contractors, Miller Construction, Unusual successfully delivered on time. If ever one needed to evaluate how well the system works, one could not do better than to hear the head flyman state proudly in a broad Geordie accent : “It does what it says on the tin”. That’s almost as good as a thumbs up from Alan Shearer.
