Triple E's MD David Edelstein was initially approached by the Young Vic's technical director Igor, and then Far Away's production manager Ed Borgnis to design, supply and install an irregular-shaped track solution for a scene in the play requiring equipment trickery to achieve an inspired effect.
Far Away is directed by this year's JMK new directors award winner Kate Hewitt, with a design by Georgia Lowe.
"In the play there is a procession of people wearing hats, and the play leads us to understand they are on their way to be executed," explains Ed Borgnis. "Given that we are staging the show in our Clare Studio, with no space for a mass ensemble of actors to play the crowd, Georgia and Kate have come up with the clever solution of having 50 hats hung from a track which process through the space. The tracking solution is complex in that the track needs to be driven and the shape requires several turns."
To help realise the project, Edelstein visited the creative team at the Young Vic to discuss requirements, and offered ERAIL as a low profile, easily altered system. In the smaller space of the Clare Studio, the team is able to weave it through the truss and around the busy lighting rig. The over stage track runs along the centre line of the space, but with ERAIL's size, they've also been able to maintain near centre-line positions for other automation lines and features of the set.
Show producer Ros Terry comments, "ERAIL is lightweight, low profile, simple to rig and available in custom bends, making it perfect for our needs on this production. We test rigged the system in a rehearsal venue, and straight away we could see it was going to work as a concept, support the required load and still operate smoothly and be easily controllable. In addition, assembly is deceptively quick. There were only a few simple setup considerations that need to be observed and the system was running smoothly with no adjustment."
The track donation is the result of an on-going relationship between Triple E and the Young Vic.
"The artistic vision of this show would be significantly compromised had it not been for David's personal, and Triple E's financial contribution to the piece," Ros Terry continues. "Offering sponsorship and support allows creative use of Triple E's products for unusual purposes and in new environments. It's exciting that an established company like Triple E is open to productions imagining new applications for their designs."
Edelstein continues, "I'm thrilled that Triple E can assist on a production that required a solid, complex technical solution but didn't have the budget for the equipment. I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge, and I'm proud that Triple E continues to support the industry in this way."
(Jim Evans)
