LONDON — Summit Steel is supplying production rigging for Monkey: Journey To The West, a fusion of Chinese opera and a circus with a mix of animated video cartoons and live performances. It’s currently being staged by AEG Promotions UK in the 3,300-capacity Kayam Tent outside London’s O2 Arena. Nick Richings is the lighting designer. The musical score is by Damon Albarn and Gorillaz partner Jamie Hewlett provided visuals, stage and costume design.
Summit’s team, project-managed by Chris Walker, won a competitive tender to supply rigging services and equipment to the show. Walker is working closely with AEG’s site production manager Tom Armstrong and Jim Leaver, production manager of the touring company, called Monkey Journey 2008.
The show’s flown infrastructure is based around a 22.4-meter-wide by 20.5-meter-deep ground support system that was installed into the tent by Star Events Group. From this, Summit has rigged 16 trusses measuring between 20 and 30 meters for lighting, supplied by White Light, and drapes, supplied by Acre Jean.
The show will be featured at The O2 site until Jan. 4. It is then scheduled to tour central Europe, Asia and the U.S. later in 2009.
On both sides of the stage, the crew flew eight custom lighting ladders supplied by the production.
Summit supplied and rigged I-beam tracks for the “Bamboos” — four sets of 8-meter-high Chinese poles used by the show’s acrobats, and rigged two followspot chairs and a front of house lighting truss from the tent’s King poles.
The show also features flying performers, for which Summit hung a series of special trusses supplied by Netherlands based Silicon Scenery. It includes seven fly tracks for the aerial artists. Six are positioned over the stage, and the seventh is over the audience. In addition to this, Summit has supplied and rigged two Kinesys vari-speed performer-flying hoists which are used to fly two silk performers.
Walker led Summit’s team of seven riggers for the load in, and Kevin Lyons is staying on site overseeing all rigging requirements during the run.
For more information, please visit www.summit-steel.co.uk.
