This is perhaps the most generally understood part of the Theatre Consultant’s service, the design of flying, stage and orchestra pit, lift machinery and scenery movement laterally in view. They are experienced too in movement in performance conditions in wing spaces and storage, safe and convenient working areas, proper location and to give safe access to stage lighting positions, design of control rooms, dimmer rooms, amplifier rack rooms etc, emergency light battery rooms and the need (if any) for emergency power to operate a show after a mains electrical failure.
The Theatre Consultant will work with the client’s artistic needs and the established technical staff to select the most appropriate approaches to the mechanisation and manual handling facilities so that the design meets that need and is compatible with existing equipment and practice.
Detailed drawings and specifications will be drawn-up so that the specialist equipment can be accommodated in the building design and budget.
The Theatre Consultant will work with the client’s needs so that the design meets that need and is compatible with existing equipment and practice.
Manufacture of non-standard items may need factory supervision and acceptance trials before coming to site. Supervision of installation on site and often helping the contractor to facilitate access and working space for the specialist installations are essentials of the task for Theatre Consultants.
Commissioning, training and maintenance manuals, as built and installed drawings and so forth are tasks supervised by the Theatre Consultant in conjunction with the client’s technical team so that they can have confidence in their ability to operate the equipment fully in support of a production and carry out day today maintenance, call for annual inspections as required by regulation and so forth.