The story unfolds at the turn of the 20th century in Phantasma, a fabulous showground in Coney Island, New York - home to freaks and entertainers. Bob Crowley's set and costumes combine the colours and thrills of the fair with the dark longing and macabre mania of the Phantom. A series of projections on layered tabs creates an immersive experience that opens up elaborate illusions of space and dimension, reality and fantasy, past and present.
The Really Useful Group, producers of the show, approached Stage Technologies and Delstar Engineering for the automation system. 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. Delstar Engineering built the main travelator and its motorisation in London, followed by a higher-speed chandelier drop system.
On the tour, Delstar built all the major items of the set including the touring showdeck, travelator, ball staircase, front and reverse tabs, rising candles, candelabra mechanisms, front proscenium, portcullis, portals, stair trap, dive trap, opera boxes and chandelier mechanism, working alongside the Stage Technologies team. While Andrew Lloyd Webber has been quoted as saying that Love Never Dies is intended to be a standalone show, the years of valuable experience gained by Delstar and Stage Technologies since the original The Phantom of the Opera have been enormously valuable for this follow-on production.
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. After a successful launch at Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil at ARIA Resort & Casino in CityCenter, Las Vegas, the eChameleon next generation automation software is making its West End debut in this production.
(Jim Evans)
