Please excuse the mess, this site is still being built!
Feel free to make suggestions, report bugs or just let me know what you think of the new Web Site. Contact Me.
I will start using Twitter, so stay tuned!
My Twitter account is TheSceneMaker. I don't use it that much yet...
I was recently asked to design a set which had an underlying environmental friendliness. What emerged from that process was a modular scenery package built from shipping pallets supplied by Guinness. These were in turn built from sustainable sources, as were many of the other materials in the show. The end result was met with critical acclaim and commercial success.
This set was designed using a CAD package to plan and visualise the entire stage....
Most of my sets are constructed from stock sizes of timber as this keeps the cost down. I work mostly in 6mm plywood for hard flats and Canvas or Calico for soft flats. I also use standard steel sections for platforms where lightness combined with strength are required. I have a standard woodwork shop with good height so I can stand high flats upright. I can also weld which allows me to keep costs down as I don?t have to farm out this work. Other finishes and materials are also available including plaster and thermo plastic skins.
I tend to work in conjunction with two or three scenic painters which give me access
to many different styles.
Sets can be flame proofed and delivered to any part of the country, and erected on
your stage.
I also have a range of hard flats that can be hired and used to build typical box
sets for plays.
I can also provide lighting and sound through associates and
if require a complete turnkey theatre including seating and stage.
I have stage managed shows since the mid 70s starting with Tops of the Town. I was the first person to have real water on the stage of the Cork Opera House. I devised and constructed a set for the dance scene in “Singing in the Rain”. Basically 35 gallons of water was circulated from a holding tank to a sprinkler over the stage and then collected again and pumped back into the holding tank. Every night the dancer was drenched with falling rain and danced in the gutter splashing about in puddles of water. Thankfully this scene occurred just before the interval so the actor then had to go off and blow dry his hair and change his costume.
I prefer to work with local crews and will happily share my knowledge with newcomers,
especially in amateur groups. I am available to run workshops for potential stage crew.
If your group lacks manpower to staff a show, I have access to a great team of
enthusiastic amateur, but very experienced crew, who are happy to work for a few pints
and expenses.