Belgian engineering specialist WIcreations has designed and supplied motion control, customised staging and hardware/infrastructure for Russian singer and superstar Philipp Kirkorov’s current tour, which features show design by renowned Creative Director Franco Dragone.
The first task for Project Manager Koen Peeters and his team was to create 14 aluminium flying wings and a kinetic system to make them move. All of these flying elements have an integrated LED lighting system that allows for a variety of lighting effects. All 14 wings were used for five shows at The Kremlin in Moscow that launched the tour, after which 10 wings continued as part of the touring set up.
The wings are flown in the roof on bespoke tracking trolleys that house two zero-speed chain hoists for the 14-metre high flight path, and run from left to right on three-metre span tracking beams. These are all suspended on the production’s trussing and programmed into WI’s control software, which regulates the movements.
The second phase of the project for WI was fabricating the intricate stage – which has flooring at 200, 400 and 600mm levels – in three different variants to deal with the different sized venues on the tour. Each of the three stage levels also encompass LED light boxes on their downstage and offstage edges. Additionally, the 600mm level contains a trap-door for small stage props and houses three hydraulic scissor lifts which are used for performer show moves.
Set Designer Marcos Viñals worked for Dragone and produced all the visual designs, including the complex staging shapes and artwork for the Marley floor covering. The biggest version of the stage is 18 metres wide by 12 deep – so far used only at the Kremlin – while the larger touring version is 13.3 metres wide by 8.5 metres deep, with a smaller one at 9.2 metres wide and also 8.5 deep.
WI also provided the scissor lifts and integrated these into the stage surrounds.
Most elements of the central 600mm level could be re-used across all three versions, but the 400 and 200mm sections were completely specific to the different variants of the stage. The time between receiving the signed contract and the first delivery leaving Belgium for Moscow by road – which took around a week – was just six weeks.
WI’s designated team of project management and administration members dealt with the project from their Heist-op-den-Berg HQ, assisted by the warehouse crew for system assembly. Another four people were dispatched to Moscow to aid with the first time assembly.
WI worked close collaboration with Dragone’s Production Manager Guillaume Duflot, Technical Director Jean Marcouiller, Marcos Viñals and the Kirkorov production, led by Production Manager Ilya Piatrouski and Technical Manager Sergey Koltsov.
