Our stage design for this two-night performance captured the sunset to reflect it over a series of tiered, rippling and glistening metallic chain curtains that fluttered in the wind for the first part of the show.
The golden glow of the sun bathed the layers of painted chain colours that ranged from deep rust, through copper, into rose gold, pewter, silver and finally antique gold.
// 2022
// Festival
// Hyde Park, London
The design for Adele’s British Summertime Festival stage was initially inspired by her 2022 BRIT Awards performance, which STUFISH also designed. That design centered around a background of golden shimmering disks which
were manipulated by air fans to gently ripple and twinkle throughout the performance. These golden disks became the main influence for our design at the Hyde Park show.
The Hyde Park “British Summertime festival” Great Oak stage has a very dominant aesthetic that commands the space. We wanted to celebrate the large tree and build upon it by hanging twinkling lights all over that would form a canopy of light in the evening. We also wanted to use some of the creative thinking behind the BRITS performance to allow the first part of the show to have a kinetic background orchestrated by the wind.
As the show is in the height of summer, the sunset is around 45 minutes into the music set. The sun faces directly onto the stage casting a golden glow over it and the video screens. The stage design reacted to the sunlight and allowed the metallic chains to reflect the light. Together with additional theatrical lighting, this textured background created a picturesque landscape of organic edges behind the performance.
As dusk settled the eight layers of backdrop lifted on Tait supplied winches to reveal the panoramic video canvas of the stage. Once raised, the layers formed a sculpture that became a visual extension to the Great Oak canopy.
We also created a large double layered band riser with an arched profile that grounded the design and created an interesting horizon line behind the main camera shots. The golden bandstand extended its colour across the floor into a long stage thrust that ended with 10m square satellite stage to allow Adele to get closer to the audience.
In the centre of the stage was a large lift that allowed us to raise a grand piano onto and above the B stage for a more intimate moment of the show with Adele and Eric her piano player to play songs such as “Easy on Me” and “Someone like You”. The performance ended with a large firework display and heart shaped confetti being released.
Credits
Directed by Matt Askem and Kim Gavin Management Rose Moon and Jonathan Dickins Production Manager Malcolm Weldon Stage Design STUFISH Technical Coordination Malcolm Birkett Video Design Treatment Studios Lighting Design Cory FitzGerald of Silent House Sound Design Dave Bracey, Jonny Keirle Stage Design Construction TAIT Main Stage and Thrust Construction Star Live, Stage One Ltd. Special FX Strictly FX Tree Lighting Light Initiative
