The pitch: An immersive experience for potential customers

The problem: To create 5 discrete zones within a West End theatre to provide a seamless flow of visitors.

The solution: A multi-level controlled series of rooms combining automation, projection and localised audio to drive the maximum numbers through without the impression of congestion

Once we had won the pitch the client appointed a small team to oversee the content, leaving us a relatively free hand to devise the delivery systems.  I worked closely with the creative directors and content creation teams as well as the staging and AV suppliers to create a series of surprising spaces within an extremely confined area.

We moved the audience from room to room in small groups, monitored by a central controller.  They experienced moving walls, floors and screens, immersive projection on all surfaces and a fully animated finale with 96 individually controlled floor segments, moving projection screens, tracking LED panels and dynamic lasers.

All this had to fit within a footprint of about 250 square metres four floors underground, accessible by lift only.  Into these I crammed 13 trailers of truss, scaffolding, projection, LED, lights, sound, control, automation and scenery.

In some places the fit was so precise that the floor had to be ramped by a few degrees to make space for the projectors hidden underneath.

The show ran continually every day for four weeks with no significant technical issues and was acclaimed as a huge success by the client.