We can be (rigging) heroes...Just for One Day

30th June 2025

Just For One Day: The Live Aid Musical opened in May at London’s Shaftesbury Theatre, and Unusual Rigging is proud to have played a key role in preparing the venue for a high-impact production that celebrates one of music’s most iconic moments.

With just ten days between the final performance of Mrs. Doubtfire and the load-in for Just For One Day, Unusual was brought in to deliver a complete rigging transformation—supporting a technically ambitious and visually bold show.

Written by John O’Farrell and directed by Luke Sheppard, Just For One Day tells the behind-the-scenes story of the 1985 Live Aid concert and how music united a global audience for one extraordinary day. Featuring songs from Queen, U2, David Bowie, Elton John, The Who, Madonna and more, the production pays tribute to the power of collective action and iconic performance. In line with the spirit of the original event, 10% of every ticket sold is donated to The Band Aid Charitable Trust.

Unusual was brought on board by production manager Oliver Ellerton, with Luke MacBride as design engineer and Alex Taylor as head rigger. The team began by stripping out the extensive diverts from the previous production and reconfiguring the theatre’s flying system. This included installing three new diverted sets and modifying counterweight cradles to increase capacity.

To meet the show’s complex creative brief, Unusual also delivered a rigging solution for a flown video wall that wraps around the on-stage band and extends across the rear of the stage. The team first supported Just For One Day during its premiere at the Old Vic, and this West End run represents the most expansive version of the production to date.

Front-of-house, Unusual installed a mother truss to support nearly a tonne of PA equipment suspended above the auditorium. The structure also carries FOH lighting and provides anchorage for the construction of a false proscenium.

One of the show’s most striking visual features is a wall of vintage PAR cans, arranged thirteen wide by six or seven deep across the stage. Supporting this required a carefully adapted flying system, with increased load capacity and robust support.

“These heavy lighting bars, packed with authentic 80s-era PARs, deliver a full rock-and-roll aesthetic,” said Alex Taylor. “They rarely run above 10% intensity due to the power draw, but visually, they bring the spirit of Live Aid to life.”