West End stages cinema classics with Stage Technologies

This month saw the opening nights of West End stage adaptations of two classic films from the early 60s.

Anna Friel stars in the stage version of Breakfast at Tiffany’s at the Haymarket, designed by Anthony Ward. The original film, based on the novella by Truman Capote, is considered by many to have been Audrey Hepburn’s finest performance.

Production manager, Dan Watkins, realised that the scene changes involving two large traversing and rotating towers needed to be smooth and seamless, which would have been difficult to achieve with a manual system. Stage Technologies was brought on board to supply two BigTow theatre winches for a traverse element and two motors for rotations, all controlled neatly by an Illusionist console.

Across the river at the Old Vic, Inherit the Wind opened to great acclaim. Kevin Spacey, the Old Vic Artistic Director, stars in this Trevor Nunn directed play. Considered one of the great American plays of the twentieth century this gripping drama is inspired by the famous Scopes 'Monkey Trial'. In 1925 school teacher John Scopes stood accused of violating a Tennessee statute by teaching Darwin's theory of evolution to his students. Two legal Titans confront each other when this close knit community puts freedom of thought on trial. A film version of the play released in 1960 starring Spencer Tracy and Gene Kelly received four Academy Award nominations. This production marks the 150th Anniversary of the publication of Darwin's 'The Origin of Species'.

Stage Technologies was asked by the production manager, Dom Fraser, to supply 3 BigTow winches, an automation control system and a Nomad console. The action called for the main street scene to morph into the railway station and back again and the production and automation teams achieved a very slick effect that was well-received in a number of reviews.