The first containers arrived at the loading doors of the Esplanade on Sunday 21 October. With two full days of hard graft, all the equipment was unloaded and put into position backstage; the show deck was laid down with the floor-track winches already installed inside and the Performer Flying sliders were motored up into the air by Chain Hoists on lengths of truss.
For the next three days, Stage Technologies' engineers set about commissioning the automation system. The equipment was powered up and tested; mechanical and software limits were reset to the requirements of the new venue and the Performer Flying winches were rigged with metal weights for load testing.
Stage Technologies' project manager, Mike Savage, was on site to make sure it all ran smoothly, "The automation system comprises five floor tracks, two lifting and traversing performer flying systems, two automated sliding door panels, a four metre diameter rotating windmill, two large doors which open to reveal the Toymakers workshop and of course the flying car which itself comprises of six axes, a mixture of electric and hydraulic.
"Along with this, there is a complicated hydraulic door system in the stage floor which opens to allow the car to fly, but at other times provides a flat stage for the company to perform amazing sequences such as those in the Fun Fair and Sweet Factory. In total, eleven winches are used on the show, a mixture of BigTow and MiniTow winches."
On day six of the installation, the star of the show arrived on the back of a lorry. Chitty, the magical flying car was fixed to its mechanical arm and put through its paces with all the usual checks. "The system is controlled from a front of house position using an Acrobat console running Chameleon and Visual Creator software. During the car's 'flights' all the axes to control the car are synchronised to three virtual master axes using Visual Creator to create the complex movements. At the peak of the show the control system requires 160A of power." comments Savage.
The following day the automation cues were run from start to finish, ensuring that every last detail was working perfectly. At the end of the day, Sunday 28 October, the show was fully commissioned and the 'Get In' mission complete.
After a further five days of light focusing, sound testing and cast rehearsals, the show was ready for opening night. On Friday 2 November the music started, the curtains opened and the stage show magic began for the largest ever touring production to visit Singapore. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang staged eight performances a week until it closed.
(Jim Evans)
