A simple panoramic drape spanning the width of the stage opens to reveal a plethora of different looks and geometries to complement the broad range of Simply Red’s set list.
Three LED screens hung in both portrait and landscape were augmented by eight hanging projection screens, ranging in size from 2 to 8 metres tall. These screens could be individually controlled to glide across stage, or moved in unison to continuously re-invent the geometry and framing of the performance.
The trapezoidal shape of the screens gave an energy to the design, and made it possible to create vanishing point perspective, saw tooth, staggered, random, or custom symmetrical shapes, which evolved continuously from one song to the next. These shapes naturally leant themselves to anything from the gentlest ballad up to the high energy of Simply Red’s best loved hits.
Integrated cove lighting in the panels added the option to reinforce their shape, and IMAG could be fed to anyone of the panels or LED screens, giving the band their own powerful presence in the arena.
Once open, the mid-stage drapes formed theatre legs which hid the panels in their offstage position, and were used to project further video onto, expanding the on screen look to the full width of the stage.
The banks of panels and drapes to either side of the stage were angled at 20 degrees to enclose the band, but still allowed sight lines out to seats to a full 180 degrees from the downstage edge.
