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WE WILL ROCK YOU

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Tuesday, 05 Jul 2011

On Saturday 2nd July twenty-five members of the Stage Lighting and Sound Team took a trip to the Dominion Theatre in London to see the hit show We Will Rock You. That wasn't all they did though!

At the stage door (more pictures below text):

 

Just before 10am we arrived at the theatre stage door and were met by RGS Old Boy and former team member David Stone. David left in 2008, is now working as an in-house electrician at the Dominion Theatre and had invited us to join him for a behind the scenes tour of all things lighting and sound at the theatre. The “We Will Rock You” lighting and sound rig is one of the biggest in a London theatre and much money has been invested in it.

After an introduction, some history about the theatre and lots of facts and figures, we were up on the stage to get closer to the gear. Next, David took us down under the stage and showed us where the largest piece of set is stored (the tube station) and how it automatically rises up onto the stage when needed.

The backstage areas of the Dominion are a real rabbit warren of corridors and passageways. Lots of twists and turns and stairs later and small groups of us were 23 metres above the stage on the "grid". It is from this highest point that all the lighting bars, drapes, curtains and flying set is suspended. In the case of We Will Rock You - that is a lot of gear!

After a trip through the dressing rooms we went upstairs again to the fly gallery. This is where the flying scenery is operated from - some manually and some by computers.

It was then time to return to the auditorium to check out the huge sound control desk - one whole board of 16 channels is just for the drum kit - and then time for questions at the end. We were also very lucky to be able to watch the technical crew arrive and go through their pre-show warm ups and checks. We learned that the lighting strike (turn on and warm up) alone costs £10 in electricity! The automated scenery is run through its sequences and finally a full sound check is carried out - the bass check being particularly impressive!

After a full two and a half hours in the theatre, we took a trip down to Covent Garden for some free time and some lunch, before returning to the theatre to watch the matinee performance of the show. It was great to see all the things we had learned about being used in action in the show. The show is great, and was very much enjoyed by all. It is certainly a big production on many levels, not least the technical!

A big thank you to David for giving up his time so generously to show us around the theatre , teach us so much, and give us an insight into his working life.  It was good for the boys to see another way in which skills learned in school can be used in later life. 

Introductions:


Up on the stage of the Dominion Theatre: 


Underneath the stage:

 

 

 

The sound control console (alas no touching allowed!):


Video screens put through their warm up tests:


After the show, in front of the theatre:

 

 

 

Source: Mr Balaam