Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s continued story of The Phantom of the Opera, unfolds at the turn of the 20th century in Phantasma, a fabulous showground in Coney Island, New York.
The Really Useful Group, producers of the show, approached Stage Technologies and Delstar Engineering because of their long history of manufacturing and automation for West End shows. The Stage Technologies group of companies has worked on technical solutions for a number of The Really Useful Group’s productions including the original production of The Phantom of the Opera in 1986 and the show’s first major UK tour in the early 90s.
The extensive automation system for Love Never Dies comprises around 60 automated axes and is programmed via the new-series Acrobat∙G6 control desk, with motor control from seven AU:tour quick-install, plug-and-play, touring control racks. eChameleon next generation automation software is making its West End debut in this production.
The artistic ambitions of the show required a number of purpose-built pieces to be designed and manufactured by Stage Technologies, including custom trusses and tracks for the trapeze artists and two wireless stage trucks. The trucks (used to move two set pieces – a tavern counter and Christine’s dressing table) are friction-driven to enable them to cross onto and over the revolves from their stage guidance tracks.
A doughnut revolve with a centre lift and drop-and-slide traps is used artfully to expose the audience to different angles of both the scenery and the characters, with a smaller one-person revolve providing additional focus.
The aerial choreography is simple: along with the two trapeze acts, there are two point hoists for performer flying, a 4m/s MiniTow winch for a prop flying effect and a BigTow 390 winch that carries a hot air balloon basket and passengers. The real workhorses of the show are the second BT390, used to fly a Martin EvenLED wall in and out of the stage area during every scenery change, and a BT490 that brings in the huge set piece for the “Aerie” scenes. Other axes include rotating light boxes that allow the curved cyclorama to extend all the way to the proscenium for certain scenes. In addition, AU:tour offers the ability to control simple fixed-speed axes; in Love Never Dies this facility is used to automate ascending front-of-stage footlights, used when Christine is performing the title song.
The award-winning F:light system was selected by lighting designer Paule Constable to synchronise lighting and automation. In Love Never Dies, individual performers and set pieces on the revolve are key elements to which F:light links moving lights with meticulous precision. F:light is a powerful tool, as demonstrated during the preview period when the speed of the revolve cues was changing frequently. This would normally have caused a major headache for the lighting programmer but using F:light meant nothing had to change; the lights just kept following based on the new speed.
