Week 1 (19/01/2013)
Performative Construction Case Study: Royal Opera House
Location: London, United Kingdom
Performance: Wagner's Valkyrie Act III or Die Walküre
The Royal Opera House is one of the most prestigious and technologically advanced opera house in the world. It consists of three main performance areas: the main auditorium, the Linbury Studio Theatre, and the Clore Studio. The study is focused on the main Auditorium, which held the performance of Valkyrie.
The main auditorium seats 2,256 people all facing the main stage where the mesmerizing performances take place. In front of the stage, the orchestra pit sinks 2 m under croft where the conductor directs the music that moves the whole opera. The stage, with a depth of 24 m and width of 14.3 Stage Left and 14.3 m Stage Right, is framed by the proscenium, 13.5 m in width.
Nevertheless, beyond the main stage lies the people, equipment, and spaces that made all the live performances possible. Above the stage is the fly tower, with a grid 37 m above the stage floor. The flying system is highly advanced and fully automated allowing for precise control. Surrounding, the stage are side stages where stage equipment, scenes, props, etc. are stored, prepared, and transferred on and off the main stage. Moreover, the Royal Opera House consists of two rehearsal rooms having the same size as the stage. The get-in lift allows props and scenes to be delivered and moved into the fit-up room and finally onto the stage.
The complexity of the opera house extends beyond just the performance of the actors and the music of the orchestra seen by the audience. Backstage, 189 other people are responsible for the success of the performance.
The Die Walküre demanded very much of the performance talent as well as technical expertise. For Act III, a two-ton wall was to be moved up stage, rotated several times (controlled by the hydraulics operator), and in the end lifted up into the fly tower. Not only that, there was to be flames running across the helix which wrapped around the scene.
The diagrammatic sketch illustrates the complex choreography and network between the orchestra, performers, and backstage/technical crew that takes place during Act III of Wagner's Valkyrie. The deputy stage manager follows the music score (and the conductor) and calls out the all the cues for every part of the operation (audio/visual effects, props, technical crew, hydraulics operator, etc.), making sure that everything is choreographed precisely to the music.
Visit http://thespace.org/items/e0001h6q to see the pre-recorded performance of Act III of Wagner's Valkyrie, where 21 cameras were used to capture an "unprecedented insight" of the complex network behind a performance at the Royal Opera House. One can switch between three views: backstage, performance, and the orchestra pit.
