Worked example for independently produced theatrical show intended to tour into receiving houses
Scenario
Independently produced show intended to tour into receiving houses. This example covers the production design and build in the first venue. (The same process is followed for each venue on the tour)
The producing company is operationally headed by an Artistic Director/Chief Executive.
The producing company is the CDM client for the project. It is also planning, managing, monitoring and co-ordinating the construction activity during the production and so retains the CDM Principal Designer (PD) and Principal Contractor (PC) roles.
The producing company discharges these CDM duties with the assistance of those working for it as part of its production team.
The production team is made up of a Director, Set Designer and a Lighting Designer for the production. It also has a Production Manager who oversees the production. For the purposes of this example, they are all employed by the producing company.
Pre-construction information
The pre-construction (pre-production) information required for the design process includes the stage size and the permissible floor loadings, together with the maximum permissible size of prefabricated elements to allow them to be loaded into the venue.
Planning and design
The Director tasks the Set and Lighting Designers to design the physical look of the production.
The Set and Lighting Designers take their initial designs for the production to the Production Manager for further development.
The Production Manager appoints a Scenic Contractor.
The Production Manager coordinates the further development of the design with the Scenic Contractor and the Set and Lighting Designers.
The Scenic Contractor (acting as a CDM designer) produces a final design and manufactures the scenic elements at the Scenic Contractor's workshop.
The Scenic Contractor does not undertake any of the work in the venues and simply supplies the scenic elements for the load in.
Get in, fit up and get out
Once the final technical design of the structure has been undertaken the load in and fit up is planned by the Production Manager who will liaise with the Technical Manager from the venue to agree the details of what the venue will provide to the show and how the 'get-in' will be undertaken.
The venue (acting as a CDM contractor to the production) provides crew into the production, including its House LX, Master Carpenter and Flyman.
The Production Manager agrees the site rules and 'get in' details with the venue and then produces a Construction Phase Plan to cover the production 'fit up' and 'get out' at the end of the show.
The Production Manager also incorporates into the Construction Phase Plan the arrangements to manage the one scene change in this production, which requires the disassembly of a part of the set.
The method for undertaking the scene change is agreed between the Production Manager and the venue's technical staff. The venue's technical staff will undertake the scene change.
An example of the Construction Phase Plan for this project is available.