Clouds on stage: Seeking advice from techs

Dry ice is the easiest, but to get the amount & deck coverage - I imagine you would require, it needs to be contained. Either by the use of ground rows &/or within a scrim & back drop {[cyc] [set piece]}.Dry ice hugs the deck & will finally dissipate over a period of time. You could pad it out with smoke,which will rise or refrigerated haze, which will rise as soon as it is heated with lighting.

Me I'd go with a ground rows of simulated clouds & belt in the dry ice from both sides.

These effects have a mind of there own, and are subject to any air movement. Of course low tech wafter's will help or deck turbo fans from the wings. The type you find in space gas heaters. Which I'm sure you could pick up from a Salvage yard.

Where are you doing the production John? especially if it has a Pit, as it will always find the lowest level. Also it's particularly good at getting into Drip Traps & leaving condensation. It doesn't work well with open GPO's, patch points or audio connectors.

However it will cost a few bob for the enough dry ice per show  possibly the machine hire, if you don't want to have the machines made up your self.

One thing which may be a cheaper alternative, now I think about it! Is get some white 'Parachute silk', as they call it. enough to cover the stage area & with the use of the deck turbo fans, blow them under the fabric. The fabric will have to be held down on the edges, with stage weights/hands.

We used this in a 'Philippe genty' production for a snow field, but there is no reason it can't be used for clouds, especially if you allow the fabric to billow. This of course could be used in conjunction with the dry ice. Therefore using less dry ice, to get the full effect.

I can't remember what Parachute Silk is worth as it not really silk & a man made fibre, it can't be that costly to cover a stage like the Old Mill.

The hazer or fogger would be a good addition to compliment the mise en scene. As I have not been cloud walking lately. Movement thru the clouds would be similar to that simulated by the hazer, as Don & Na suggested.

Besides just anchoring at the corners, the luvvies on the boards would lend to the billowing effect & holding the fabric  in lumps & bumps. You may need something like 4 or more turbo & even other type fans to capture enough air to give the cloud effect.

The warm props could wear white Jiffy's on their feet & this will save from slipping or sliding & probably a wee bit healthier, with the transmission of any foot problems, between each other.

Also I would ensure that there is a carpet runner on each side in the wings, to reduce any dust or dirt on the soles of the jiffy's. Which would show up on the white material. As David posted you can get some really good lighting effects from the general wash & also  on the silk from the lighting from the floor ['X' ] position.

Further the silk can be a reusable resource for other productions.

If you go with the stage cloth idea, you will need to apply Fire Retardant, but you find you can purchase it already treated. Also you will need to 'Idiot Proof' the Parachute silk, during the production. By striking the cloth immediately after the performance. So no yoyo walks across it in street shoes or high heals, treat it much the same as a Tarquette or Marley Dance mat.

If the venue has raked seating, you use a set of Footlights [Floats] along with a ground row flat to mask them. All you need is a 1' wide [Jogger] flat, on it's side, with clouds profiled along the joggers stile edge.

Jonny could you play back to the forum, on what you decided to do for the production, for the cloud scene? which would be great & possibly Even help others,