The challenge
The Everyman holds an important place in Liverpool culture. The original theatre, converted from the 19th century Hope Hall chapel, had served the city well as a centre of creativity but by the building was in need of complete replacement to serve a rapidly expanding programme.
Tasked with designing a new home for the popular theatre, the scope of work includes a 400 seat adaptable auditorium, a smaller performance and development space, a large rehearsal room, and more.
The solution
Following a challenging selection procedure, the Torpedo Factory Group (TFG) were proud to be appointed to work alongside Britain’s leading theatre consultants Charcoal Blue to deliver the technical audio visual and stage performance systems.
Having recently installed a new ETC Sensor dimming system for Liverpool Merseyside Theatres Trust at Liverpool Playhouse the ETC product was the natural choice to be installed at heart of the new venue. This modular system allows existing tungsten dimmed lighting to be replaced by switched low energy fixtures as technology progresses.
The dimmer system is backed up by a comprehensive fibre-optic data network. With 63 kilometres of cable and 5,000 terminations, the entire building has access to superfast data transfer capable of carrying anything from virtually lag free multichannel audio to 4k video signals from and to all corners.
TFG also installed a completely programmable building wide paging, show relay and BGM system and a custom built GDS stage management desk including video and communications systems.
Over 200 audio visual facility panels and numerous lighting panels make the Everyman one of the best equipped producing houses in the UK and helped make it the Association of British Theatre Technicians best attended technical tour of the year.
The benefits
The new Everyman opened to great acclaim from audiences and critics.
“I feel overwhelmed and overjoyed,” says Everyman executive director Deborah Aydon. “It’s been lovely to have people’s responses, and they’ve been thrilled, but particularly about the auditorium,” adds artistic director Gemma Bodinetz. “People were most nervous about how that would look, but some have gasped as they’ve come in.
TFG’s has successfully installed state-of-the-art and flexible technical systems that will keep the Liverpool Everyman production team at the leading edge of technology for many years to come.
Working with Liverpool Everyman, Charcoal Blue and leading supplier such as GDS, Sennheiser, Polar Audio and Robolights over a period of two years this was a huge, complex project to be part of,” he continues. “The flexible, state-of-the-art technical systems we have installed will keep the Liverpool Everyman production team at the leading edge of technology for many years to come. We delivered on time and ready to go.”
TFG Project Manager, Chris Wells
