Following a significant fire in the Shaw Theatre’s auditorium, J&C Joel was asked to replace their Front of House and stage drapery together with the front of house track.
The Shaw Theatre in London opened in 1971 and seats 446 people. It stages comedy, cabaret and music, and hosts drama and school showcases.
The main challenge with this job was the short lead time which was driven by the Theatre’s re-opening date.
Following discussions with the client, it was decided that J&C Joel’s plum Sowerby Velour (VEL700/3) would be used for the Front of House drapes. The drapes, which measured 7.85m wide by 7.30m drop, were lined with black Mercury (MER025) and had 50% fullness. They were finished with 120mm bullion fringe in sunburst, together with two 100mm deep citrine Regal Satin (REG003) bands, which were set up a specified distance from the fringe.
To ensure the fringe and banding worked in unison, a CAD drawing was produced for the client which showed the proportions of the finishes in relation to the drop of the curtain, factoring in the position of the proscenium header. This is crucial to ensure that the final result is as required by the client.
In addition, J&C Joel also produced 27 Premier Wool Serge (WS090) drapes in a variety of sizes, which were used as stage masking drapes.
Finally, J&C Joel supplied and installed a corded Triple E Erail track from which the Front of House drapes were hung. The track was fixed to a threaded bar which allowed for some adjustability of the drop should this be required.
