It was 10s all round for Showforce’s crew when the Strictly Come Dancing tour arrived at Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena this January. Working with the tour management team from Phil McIntyre, over 138 crew were in action for three days supporting the pre-rig, build day and load out.
The tour’s tight schedule required the experience of seven Showforce crew and a crew boss to carry out a pre-rig on Monday 29th January. This involved tipping trucks and ensuring equipment was in position for the build the next day.
The following day, and an early morning, start saw 60 crew and a crew boss begin an intensive show build day. Assigned to departments including lighting, video, set construction, flooring, rigging, audio, backline, the crew were tasked with everything from ensuring the famous dancefloor was in position and suspending huge mirror balls from rigging points in the ceiling to the install of a large LED screen and adding the backline for Dave Arch & His Orchestra. The set and lighting teams pulled together seamlessly ensuring that the live shows are very similar to the television programme. Once show ready, the crew created a quick changing area off stage for the celebrities and their dance partners to change costumes during the show.
A team of 70 crew returned at 9:45pm the next night, following two sold out shows ready to assist with the load out. This is where the real magic happens, whilst its incredibly hectic with every department dismantling their equipment and all zig zagging around each other, it’s carried out with with absolute precision. It’s as impressive to watch and choreographed as carefully as the dancers’ performances.