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Summit Supports Carnival Messiah
Summit Steel designed, supplied and installed a massive ground support structure to transform a 1000 seater circus big-top in the grounds of Harewood House, Leeds, into a pros arch theatre for the much heralded revival of “Carnival Messiah”.
The production, directed by Geraldine Connor and produced by David Lascelles features a cast of over 100 and commemorates the Bicentenary of the Abolition of the Slave Trade, drawing vividly on the colour and vibrancy of ‘carnival’ in Trinidad, Tobago and Leeds to deliver its powerful message
Summit was asked onboard by Leeds-based production company TechSpec, headed by Graham Nixon, who are responsible for all-things technical. Nixon says: “I was researching the best options for sourcing the structure that we needed to stage the event ….. and all roads led to Summit.”
Jay Call was Summit’s project manager for the show’s month-long run throughout September. The 10 legged ground support measured 27 metres wide by 14.4 metres deep, offering 8.5 metres of headroom and was constructed from a combination of Thomas 52 cm and 30.5 cm trussing. It created the proscenium arch between stage and audience and was completed with an over-stage fly tower with 31 moving scaff bars containing lighting, extensive scenery, drapes, tab tracks, cyc, etc., plus two wings of 6.5 metres wide either side of stage.
The fly tower took up another 2 metres above the top of the over-stage section of the ground support system, and was built so scenery could be hoisted up and concealed when not in use.
The front edge of the ground support system was cantilevered beyond the front of the pros arch to form the first FOH lighting position, with the wings slightly set back. Additionally, extensive FOH, audience and auditorium lighting positions were provided by the FOH lighting grid, a squared-off figure of 8 shape yielding front, mid and rear trusses, measuring 20 metres long by 20.5 metres wide. This was built on the floor, hoisted into position and dreaded off to four of the six tent king poles.
Summit also supplied two draped corridors either side of the auditorium, allowing artists to access the back of the auditorium without being seen, as numerous entrances were made via the audience.
Jay Call and a team of four Summit riggers took five days to build and rig the system. “Graham knew exactly what he wanted and needed,” says Call. “We worked hard with him prior to the build to ensure that all aspects were covered, which helped everything run very smoothly once we were on-site.”
There were no design plans for the tent, so they had to maximise all the space they could for the ground support and grid whilst also leaving enough room for tent movement. Call comments that Summit’s experience in working with other tent-based companies like Cirque du Soliel came in useful when calculating the relatively unknown dynamics of the tent!
1st October 2007
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