KARLSTAD, Sweden – The Karlstad Theatre in Sweden is nearly 120 years old and home to the Värmland Opera, founded in 1975. The company produces operatic, musical and orchestral performances, along with school productions. The company tours extensively, within Sweden and beyond. Working alongside construction firm NCC, Stage Technologies provided a complete refit of the building's stage system and machinery as part of an $11.4 million renovation project led by the city of Karlstad.
The new power-flying system includes 31 power flying sets (including BigTow winches, fly bars and pulleys); Nomad and Solo desk control; an 8-axis grid trolley system formed of point hoists and positional control chainhoists for easier rigging; three automated lighting bars; and replacement control for the orchestra lift and house curtain. Control was also provided for a revolving platform that tracks on and off stage, spins and tilts on a hydraulic arm.
The theatre's technical team wanted the system to be as flexible as possible with the scope to expand its capability in the future in a cost-effective manner. So the groundwork was laid for an expandable system by including extra I/O boxes and the ability to easily add additional hydraulic axes to the revolve.
The first performance to use the brand new equipment will be a rendition of all four operas of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen, starting Easter week and ending in mid-July. Stage Technologies is renting out an AU:tour 6 plug-and-play control rack, a BigTow tracking winch and a customized drive train for the production.
For more information, please visit www.stagetech.com.
Photos: Tom Campbell
