Best in Show
Dralion © Daniel Desmarais
“ We adhere very strictly to the integrity of each show as it was originally produced, both from a technical and creative standpoint.”
David Pitman, Cirque du Soleil. included 14 shows in Barcelona and a visit to the island of Majorca. “We examine the particularities of each market and in Majorca that meant focusing on the high population of second home-owning German and UK nationals,” says Martinez. Cirque du Soleil director of arena tour planning, David Pitman, joined the company in 2010, at the time Dralion was transferring to arenas. When considering taking Dralion to a new city, Pitman first assesses the quality of the local arena and whether the population is sufficiently dense and affluent. “The biggest challenges are found in the logistics and handling of transport expenses when visiting the more remote places. Even if you think you will get a strong result in a new market, if it is expensive to get to, it can present a real problem,” says Pitman. Despite demands to stage the show outside arenas, the original creative vision has remained unaltered. “We often get asked to present our shows in a big theatre or open air environment, both situations would require us to adapt the show technically and artistically, which we have chosen not to do,” Pitman tells IQ. “We adhere very strictly to the integrity of each show as it was originally produced, both from a technical and creative standpoint.” Every major arena production has its own technical challenge and for Dralion it is two huge set pieces rigged over the main performance stage. Designed by Tate Towers,
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Dralion’s metallic set piece is 60 feet wide and 26 feet tall and features a giant wall spanning the length of the stage. Meanwhile, three concentric aluminium rings are suspended above the stage, with each being used in interesting ways to transport performers and set elements. “They are two heavy pieces but we can either hang both at the same time or we can build one first, drop it, and then build the other. That gives us the additional flexibility to go to venues that are not able to hold our full weight,” says Newnum. Aside from rigging issues, Cirque du Soleil has become adept at shifting kit swiftly in and out of venues. Newnum says it usually takes ten hours to load in and build, three hours to load out. Caterer Red Radish worked simultaneously on the European tours of both Dralion and Quidam and its owner Wayne Brown admits to being astounded at the speed and efficiency with which Dralion’s stage and equipment was rigged and de-rigged. “It was a bit of a worry in the first few weeks when they were packing their 20th articulated lorry within hours of the show finishing and we were still packing our one small truck. They are really a company to aspire to when it comes to organisation,” says Brown. After 15 years and having played 114 distinct markets in North America alone, Dralion’s last arena show is drawing closer. O’Connell says the show is being wrapped purely because it has literally played everywhere. “There was a time when we ran the risk of cannibalising our own shows. That has settled down and we carefully examine how many shows each territory can support,” she says. “We have been everywhere with Dralion; the Middle East, Europe, South America, North America, South Africa – there is nowhere left for us to go.”
IQ Magazine January 2015