History of the Drum Revolve

The drum revolve and multiple 'sky hook' flying system were included in the original design of the Olivier Theatre in order to create a 'high productivity environment.' The idea was not only to be able to create magical scene changes but also to change between shows on a daily basis: to rehearse one production in the morning, put on a matinee of another in the afternoon, and perhaps change into a third for the evening, giving the maximum possible flexibility. The Olivier stage systems were seen as a way of making this possible, using a smaller number of stage staff than had hitherto been possible.

The systems were designed in the early 1970s - before the birth of pocket calculators let alone PCs. Both drum and flying system therefore had to use leading edge technology of the day in order to provide the functionality required. Some of the hardware had to be developed from scratch and large amounts of software written specially for each project. Both systems relied heavily on bespoke equipment and specialist suppliers and, in effect, were very early prototypes of technology which is now off-the-shelf, widely available, relatively cheap and vastly more reliable.

Commissioning the equipment was an extremely expensive and protracted process of on-site development and modification to achieve sufficient functionality. The suppliers involved lost money and there were protracted arguments between them about where the responsibility for the delays lay. The process of making the drum revolve demonstrably reliable, so that the artistic team would have the confidence to use it in productions, took years. It was not used at all until 1986 when The American Clock transferred from the Cottesloe - ten years after the National opened on the South Bank. The long failure of the drum revolve to be available, working and reliable led to serious questions about whether it should be used at all, or dismantled and concreted-over. Both the flying system and drum revolve were conceived 20 years ahead of their time in terms of technology but the original designers' dream has been realised through their use in very many successful shows.

The first use of the elevators was for Howard Davies' 1988 production of The Shaughraun in which the drum rose to great acclaim - finally liberated from years of criticism by William Dudley's magical set design. After this, it became accepted and used for many shows in many different ways through the late 1980s and 1990s. Ad hoc modifications were made over the years to improve both the original mechanical design and the electrical drive and control systems. Generally, reliability was good but a team of in-house engineers was required to keep the drum going; there were some cancelled performances and many more where luck played far too great a part. The drum retained its 'infamous' tag.

From 1999 until 2003, the Olivier Theatre was modified to provide a more intimate atmosphere: the stage was raised and thrust forward. The drum revolve was effectively buried and its future uncertain. When Nicholas Hytner became the NT's Director, the Olivier was returned to its original format; there was renewed desire to use the Olivier's full possibilities, including the drum revolve and flying system. In the case of the drum, much of the technology, the entire wiring infrastructure and many of the electrical components were over 25 years old. A decision was taken that the electrical and control systems would be completely replaced in order to ensure the future of the drum revolve and to meet the needs of the new artistic team. The project was specified, managed and largely installed and commissioned by in-house staff, using standard industrial equipment from a proven supplier. The opportunity was taken to integrate a rim revolve and to provide a means of controlling drum, elevators and rim from one control desk by one operator, rather than the three required previously. Nicholas Hytner provided the severest of challenges with his production of His Dark Materials , where the drum and elevators make three or four times the number of moves per performance than in any previous production.

At the time of writing it appears that the original dream has indeed been realised and 'infamous' replaced by 'famous'.