Quick Turn Round Engineered For The Library Theatre

Situated in the basement of the city's Central Library, The Library Theatre has restricted headroom, and the original revolving stage had therefore been built to a low profile design which had to be copied in the replacement.

Michael Williams, Production Manager of The Library Theatre, explains: 'At the time the fire broke out, the stage was in storage and was severely damaged.

'As most revolving stages are designed for exhibitions, with a 300 mm profile, we needed a company that was capable of refurbishing what was left of the revolve and could also manufacture the additional components to restore the unit to its basic 5 metres diameter with a profile of 180 mm. We also had to bring into the equation the need for the revolve to be dismantled for storage and re-set when needed, each operation capable of being completed within three hours.

'British Turntable not only grasped and understood our problem very quickly, but also turned the job round to a very tight deadline, such that our season of productions had only minimal disruption while the stage was out of action. Their ability to match our requirements to the new structure is unquestionable. They were great to work with, and have produced a revolve that is much more manageable than the original - we've even been able to get the time down for striking the set to only 90 minutes.'

To bring the revolve back to its original glory, British Turntable refurbished the existing external rope drive winch and provided a modern variable speed control with remote operating pendant switch. The original centre section of the damaged revolve was retained but has now been equipped with a new deck, new support wheels and centre bearing, the deck structure being supplied as a series of 'petals' for easy removal and storage.

The centre section was then equipped with new 7 and 9 metre diameter extensions, in each case retaining the existing framework, cleaning and repairing it as necessary before repainting and fitting with new wheels and deck. Finally, a completely new 5 metre extension was supplied to fit the existing centre.

The resultant stage allows for flexibility both in size and how it is used: when necessary it can be used off the centre line, an outcome normally very difficult to achieve.

Other recent stage installations designed and built by British Turntable include a standard 6 metre diameter revolving stage for The Theatre Royal, Ramsbottom and a series of
4 metre telescopic extensions to the stage at Bury Grammar School for Girls.

The company's industrial division enjoys a unique capability in engineering movement because of its comprehensive materials handling and engineering solutions portfolio which includes HGV access turntables, materials handling carousels and large revolves capable of carrying a military tank or an aeroplane. Solutions can be engineered using mechanical or Hovair air film technology, depending on the project and site specifications, and the company also has exclusive distribution rights for Jung lifting equipment in the UK, extending its capabilities to the safe lifting, manipulation and moving of heavy machinery such as large printing presses, medical scanners and machine tools