Rigging Team supported Cirque du Soleil with their recent production, overcoming time pressures and COVID-19 challenges in the process.
After being contacted by Cirque du Soleil, Rigging Team supported the illustrious circus company with their recent staging of LUZIA at the Royal Albert Hall, an imaginative show inspired by Mexican culture, people and places.
Based in Hertfordshire, Rigging Team provides rigging and professional services to the TV, film and live events industries, and worked closely with Cirque du Soleil to meet tight deadlines and unique requirements.
Often working overnight, Rigging Team supplied riggers and equipment at both the Royal Albert Hall and at Production Park in West Yorkshire, where extensive rehearsals took place. The team, who has worked at the distinctive concert hall on multiple projects in the past, completed 147 rigging shifts across the two venues, which included rope access technicians to access hard to reach areas.
LUZIA: Behind Cirque du Soleil’s latest run at Royal Albert Hall
It was the first time Rigging Team has partnered with the international circus company, although Senior Project Manager Simon Frost has previously worked with Cirque du Soleil; the first time being over 20 years ago.
Frost commented: “It was great to be back working with such a high-profile company as Cirque du Soleil. Much has changed in our industry since I first worked with them, but what remains the same is the shared commitment to staging the most creative, awe-inspiring show possible. At times we had to think outside the box to turn the ideas for the show into a reality.”
The complex performance was one of Cirque du Soleil’s first since the pandemic put the entertainment industry on hold, bringing with it a breadth of practical challenges, including demanding time constraints.
Frost continued: “We needed to adapt to changing schedules and the challenges of riggers often being unavailable at the last minute due to COVID isolation requirements. This involved undertaking overnight pre-rigs throughout December.”
Cirque du Soleil’s Technical Director, Ges Edwards-Webb, said he is keen to use the Rigging Team for future shows, commenting: “It was great having the Rigging Team on board. We found the company and their riggers to be friendly, hardworking and professional – nothing was a problem.”
Production Park curates a bespoke rehearsal space for Cirque du Soleil