Considered the "centre of cultural life in the County", these venues present 25 productions for audiences of over 100,000 per year. Stage Technologies updated the stage equipment in Linköping between July and October 2012, and completed a similar refurbishment on Norrköping in the same time frame in 2013.
Runda Idéer AB's Karl Runqvist said, "It was clear from the very first meeting we had with Stage Technologies that we had the same goal: a user-friendly and flexible theatre that could handle a wide variety of performances with quick turnaround times. The staff from Stage Technologies are not only solution orientated but also have a true understanding of the spirit of theatre. The ability to integrate custom made solutions, such as the much appreciated dead man's handle assigning panel, into the system to suit the needs of these particular theatres was a key to making this a successful project."
To modernise these early 1900s venues for the 21st Century, Linköping and Norrköping were each outfitted with a control system consisting of winches, desk and hydraulic system. The systems included AU:tour 6 control racks, BT2-290 winches to power fly and lighting bars, chain hoists for lighting bridges, desks, a wireless truck and point hoists.
Additionally Stage Technologies was asked to provide a new safety curtain motor for the theatre in Norrköping. Some elements, including the AU:tour 6 racks and point hoists, were supplied with the intent to share them between the two theatres as required. Each venue also has the ability to rent out some of the kit to third parties.
Karl Runqvist said, "At the end of the project the two theatres still have all the integrity and traditions of old with the technical ability to take on the technically advanced shows of today."
(Jim Evans)
