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Stage Technologies Slides into Action with Festen
Stage traps and walls move perfectly on cue as the exquisitely laid table slides seamlessly into position, setting the scene for Christian (played by Luke Mably) to drop his bombshell on the jubilant family celebration.
Currently one of the most talked about show in the West End, Festen has enjoyed fantastic reviews from the critics since transferring to the Lyric Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, after its hugely successful sell-out run at the Almeida earlier in the year. This stage adaptation of the 1998 Dogma film, directed by Rufus Norris, succeeds superbly in portraying an immensely powerful script with a minimal set designed by Ian MacNeil. Using merely a dining table and double bed, MacNeil has created two symbolic environments that are automated to flow effortlessly between the two as the story unfolds and intensifies.
The Stage Technologies Maxis control system and BigTow winches enabled Tom King (the show's automation operator) to achieve the desired effects needed for this sensitive show without detracting from the intimacy of the performance. After two years as a technical operator Tom is using Stage Technologies' equipment for the first time. He comments: "After two days of familiarizing myself with the Juggler control desk and some great tuition from the Stage Technologies support team I quickly got the hang of it. The control desk and software is far more advanced than anything I had previously used, however the accessible interface makes it logical and easy to understand. The system is also safer than previous systems I have worked with that use visual deads."
Festen is an unforgettable performance that has derived from the collaboration between Marla Rubin Productions and Bill Kenwright Ltd. Stage Technologies are also currently supplying the automation for another Bill Kenwright production Tell Me On a Sunday which is on tour until 4th December.
13th October 2004
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