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Professional backstage theatre work followed
by an Honours Degree in Electrical Engineering from University College
London. Completed a Graduate Apprenticeship in radio, television,
electronic and mechanical engineering with the British Broadcasting
Corporation and worked as a Senior Planning and Installation Engineer
on the rigging and lighting installations in television studios.
This background and experience led to his being asked to lead the
technical consultancy team for the Royal National Theatre in London
and he later carried out a similar technical role for the City of
London on the Barbican Theatre, interpreting the Royal Shakespeare
Companys requirements into equipment provisions on a limited
budget. Specified and co-ordinated the first significant computerised
control system for theatre power flying and the special equipment
used in the Drum Revolve stage for the Olivier Theatre. Developed
the first theatrical use of air castor technology in the fully-adaptable
Derngate Hall in Northampton in the UK. Managed and contributed
to a range of other performing arts projects world-wide.
In 1985 he formed Technical Planning International
to specialise in theatre technical installations. Contributed to
the theatre planning and was responsible for the design and specification
of the technical installations in the Olavshallen in Trondheim,
which was followed by the Kulturhus in Harstad. Was invited to lead
the stage engineering team on the design of the facilities for the
Ballet Opera House in Toronto which was at detail design phase before
the project was cancelled. Back in the UK, he developed equipment
for a number of multipurpose halls, including a proscenium frame
which stores within the floor of a concert hall and specialised
aluminium structures to create overstage suspensions in temporary
locations. Pioneered the use of tensioned-wire grids and further
developed the use of low pressure air castors. Developed special
rigging equipment for the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester for the
Hallé Orchestra and contributed to the technical installations
for Symphony Hall in Birmingham, England.
Won the commission from the Government of Hong
Kong for the design and specification of stage engineering and stage
lighting systems in the Kwai Tsing Theatre. He was awarded similar
responsibilities for the complete stage engineering installations
in the reconstruction of the Gran Teatre Del Liceu in Barcelona
after the devastating fire in 1994. These installations were extensive
and involved major rack and pinion elevators travelling down to
a full scenic basement some 18 metres below stage. Following this,
he was invited to join the in-house theatre consultancy team on
the redevelopment of the Royal Opera House in London. Collaborated
with this team and contributed to the design and technical specifications
of a number of significant installations, including the powered
flying, stage wagons, and stage control system. Having worked on
projects in Greece, he was retained as the stage engineering and
lighting consultant on the Conference and Opera Theatre, Small Theatre
and Banquet Hall installations forming the extension to the Music
Megaron in Athens.
After interviews of a number of international
theatre consultant teams, his engineering background, experience
and direct approach won him the theatre planning and engineering
consultancy commission on the Opera Project in Copenhagen, which
is his current major project. He has been Chairman of the Association
of British Theatre Technicians, is a Past Chairman of the Society
of Theatre Consultants and has represented the UK on both the Executive
and Technical Committees of the Organisation of Scenographers, Technicians
and Theatre Architects. Has also given papers on theatre equipment
and installations to the US Institute of Theatre Technicians, the
ABTT, the Institute of Electrical Engineers and in Asia and Holland.
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