Topics
Pyrotechnics
About
For the National's production of Howard Brenton's play Never So Good in 2008, a massive aircraft explosion was required, which used explosive gases, pyrotechnics and compressed air to create a terrifying but safe impression of the disaster.
People featured in this video include:
Paul Wanklin, Senior Armourer
NT productions referenced in this video include:
Never So Good by Howard Brenton. Directed by Howard Davies. Designed by Vicki Mortimer. Lyttelton Theatre, 2008.
Transcript
The techniques demonstrated in this film are HIGHLY DANGEROUS and should not be attempted at home, at school or by an untrained person.
Paul Wanklin: For Never So Good we've got to simulate an aircraft explosion. The way we've done that is by using compressed propane gas in this cylinder [Paul indicates cylinder number one to his right] and compressed air in this cylinder [Paul indicates cylinder number two]. We release that, which is 150 litres of gas, through the solenoid valve (which we operate from the firing box), through these pipes [Paul follows the pipes towards the stage], which come all the way up through to the stage here. The propane gas is released through this funnel; we ignite the gas with the use of this pyro [Paul clasps a conical piece of equipment in the centre of the funnel] which gives out a lot of sparks and smoke. If that pyro was to misfire, we've got a safety pyro there, which will light the gas and we have a big fireball going up on stage.
In the second explosion, because Jeremy Irons is coming into the scene we don't want to release pyro gas and pyrotechnics towards him, so what we use is compressed air with rubber crumb [Paul squeezes a piece of foam rubber in his hand] and foam rubber and a bit of Fuller's Earth to simulate the explosion.
For the sound effects on stage, because the fireball doesn't give us any sound other than a whoosh, we use a thing called a flash report and we put that into a concussion pot, like so. And that is kept well out of everybody's way, and gives us a very loud noise. We wire that up and it fires at exactly the same time as the propane goes through the nozzles.
In Never So Good we've also got exploding barrels on stage; we do that with the set up here [Paul indicates towards equipment inside a barrel]. We've got propane gas which is released through an electrical valve, which is controlled by radio from our firing box. The radio receiver here opens the valve and also fires that pyro which is round the corner there, underneath the gas. As the gas is released the pyrotechnic ignites the gas. There's also a piece of safety fuse there [Paul points towards the safety fuse behind the barrel] ... just in case the pyro doesn't light it, we have a flame coming up here which will light the gas. A fire extinguisher is put in here [Paul points towards the fire extinguisher inside the barrel] with this pipe; it's an automatic fire extinguisher. If there was a fire in here it would automatically release CO2 gas and would extinguish the flame. The sound effect once again is done by the concussion pots which are at the rear of the stage.
[All the above effects are then demonstrated simultaneously, as occurs in the show].
