bloody architects

I worked in the BMW Edge back when it was new (2003 or so) and practically nobody was using it as a theatre space. To access most of the FOH rig, you have to winch it down over the raked seating, which is all wooden and immovable (and placed on odd angles with the stage). Of course, when it came time to focusing, you had to harness yourself, go up two flights of the building into the 'ceiling' (there's weird aesthetic canvases - think of carports - hung underneath the ceiling, so you actually don't see what's above, which is a lot of catwalks and additional rigging space), climb onto the catwalk, attach the harness, and then down onto the winched bars. Scary, even for the trained pros. Oh yes, and because they were moving about on the bars, they tended to sway a little. It was either that, or try and figure out how to use the cherrypicker over those wooden seats. Luckily, onstage rigging was less chaotic, although the trickiest part was maneuvering the cherrypicker into the hall, since it barely fit through the single door that wasn't set against stairs. Let's face it: architects don't ever do theatre, as they seem to have no idea to construct a useful space. (Perhaps that's why multi-purpose venues are popular) ... Oh, and there is no 'backstage' area as such, unless you count outside the actual venue (BMW Edge is set on the Yarra - so you're looking at it as an audience member... don't get me started on doing daytime performances with lighting in a half-glass venue - but leads either to the street or the rest of Fed Square) Mermaid shadow puppet now on sale at Puppets in Melbourne