Automation (Scenic)

[photo above: The Lord of the Rings, Theatre Royal Drury Lane]

Scenic automation is at the forefront of the largest most complex productions in the world, ensuring that the most mind-numbingly complex sequences of scene changes can happen at the touch of a button right in front of the audiences’ eyes.

Relevant pages at Theatrecrafts.com

• Glossary of Technical Theatre Terms
• Powered Flying
• Stage Machinery – Revolves / Lifts
• Wagon Stage

Automation Credits

A selection of notable shows and designers / suppliers

• Beauty and the Beast
• Billy Elliot – AVW Controls and Delstar Engineering
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory – Stage Technologies / Tait Towers
• Chitty Chitty Bang Bang – Stage Technologies and Delstar Engineering
• Groundhog Day (Old Vic, London) – AVW Controls and Weldfab Stage
• The House of Dancing Water (Macau and Belgium) – Stage Technologies
• KA (MGM Grand) – Stage Technologies
• Legally Blonde (Savoy, London)
• The Lion King (Lyceum, London) – Delstar Engineering, JD Automation
• The Lord of the Rings (Toronto, London) – Silicon Theatre Scenery and Delstar Engineering
• Love Never Dies (London)
• Mary Poppins (Broadway & Tour) – Design by Bob Crowley – Big Vision Group
• Miss Saigon (Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London)
• Newsies (Broadway & Tour) – Design by Tobin Ost – Hudson Scenic
• Phantom of the Opera (London) – Delstar Engineering
• Phantom of the Opera (Las Vegas, USA) – Fisher Technical Services
• Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Palace Theatre, London) 
• Our House – AVW Controls
• Shrek the Musical – PRG (Broadway)
• The Sound of Music – Stage Technologies
• Spamalot – Delstar Engineering
• Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark – Fisher Technical Services
• Sunset Boulevard
• Voyage de la Vie (Singapore) – Stage Technologies
• We Will Rock You (Dominion Theatre, London)
• Wicked (London) – Stage Technologies and Delstar Engineering
• Wizard of Oz (London, 2011)

Safety

Modern automation systems have a high degree of safety systems built-in.The automation operator has easy access to an E-Stop (emergency stop) button, enabling the system to stop moving in the event of a problem. There are also E-Stop buttons in locations where problems might occur, such as in the theatre basement where an actor may get onto a platform lift, or at high level if performer flying is used. The automation operator has a number of closed-circuit TV monitors to enable her/him to see all parts of the system.

This video shows a ‘safe edge’ on a lift for a production of The Bodyguard. As soon as something gets in the way of the scissor lift, it stops moving instantly, preventing what could be a serious injury.

Books

External Links

Keywords: Scenic Automation, Automated Scenery, Moving Scenery