headoned Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 So I need to have a washing line for a production that the school is putting on and it needs to raise during the performance to be more set decoration (like bunting) . The only method I can see so far is to run some washing line over some of the lighting gantry and have two operators at each end to pull the line up and tie them off to some sort of anchor. Just wondering if any of you guys have any better ideas?http://www.blue-room.org.uk/public/style_emoticons/default/dry.gif Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth A Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Offtopic slightly but. . . . Make sure the local authorities dont have an issue wit it! When we were in Oxford with Fiddler on the Roof mannnnny years ago, the local child licensing agency type people came for a site visit. All things they were fine with, and we got a lovely report back about the paperwork and stuff I did. However - on stage which the children runs under is a washing line. . ..Nope. ! Thats definately NOT allowed. Had to rethink that entrance! Oh - did I point out the children were about a foot shorter than the rope! Grrrr! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headoned Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 Il be sure to ask about that! thanks :huh: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Offtopic slightly but. . . . Make sure the local authorities dont have an issue wit it! When we were in Oxford with Fiddler on the Roof mannnnny years ago, the local child licensing agency type people came for a site visit. All things they were fine with, and we got a lovely report back about the paperwork and stuff I did. However - on stage which the children runs under is a washing line. . ..Nope. ! Thats definately NOT allowed. Had to rethink that entrance! Oh - did I point out the children were about a foot shorter than the rope! Grrrr!WHAT??I've heard of some ridiculous 'elf 'n' safety' lines but that one certainly takes a prize!I'd have (politely) argued that (assuming the RA had been done efficiently) the height of said line being well above the tallest child's neck was more than sufficient to offset any risk of said child being injured by it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Did we not just do a very similar topic? I remember I made a suggestion as did Seano but, for the life of me I cannot find it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seano Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 Did we not just do a very similar topic? We did, it's here. The OP didn't bother to come back and tell us how it went. Bah. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headoned Posted October 2, 2012 Author Share Posted October 2, 2012 I didnt think I would have been the first with this problem. Thanks for the pointers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbuckley Posted October 2, 2012 Share Posted October 2, 2012 I've heard of some ridiculous 'elf 'n' safety' lines... As puns go... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth A Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Very serious. To be fair, we did I think 40 venues that year with 40 different sets of children. All venues had 2 sets also. So we had a LOT of children! As I mentioned the same staff gave us an outstanding review of all our paperwork and procedures - just would not let them near this washing line in case they strangled themselves and we could never GUARANTEE that the line wouldn't sag down as they ran on. . . well - we did point out apart from the fact it was clipped on both ends, with no spare rope. Only if the entire set moved (and were talking portals and house truck) would it sag. . . . However I kid not. If we didn't re-do the entrance, they would pull the children's license. End of! Naturally - said entrance was changed! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paulears Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 The rules are very detailed - they even give a list of the type of incident you are not permitted to do - no drowning, electrocution, poisoning etc etc. I'm usually on our usual side of the fence (sorry) but in this case, I've actually had a accident of this kind while playing paintball. Disoriented, I ran full tilt into a piece of blue poly rope used to mark the boundary. It hit my neck just below the mask, my feet flipped up, I did a somersault, and when I landed I got a 180 degree twist, and blackout out. Luckily a marshall had a knife, and apart from a huge read weal - no damage, but it could easily have been different. Maybe the washing line does constitute a strangulation risk - especially with kids who are less aware of danger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kerry davies Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 They do need to be ultra-careful with young people.Years ago Moving Being were doing a piece on the Merthyr Rising written by Professor Gwyn Alf Williams and the premiere was attended by the great and the good of Merthyr including several headmasters. It was a time-slip thing with modern schoolkids watching the historical facts like a play within a play. Dic Penderyn's hanging raised no qualms but the suicide by wrist slitting of one of the schoolkids had to be changed for future performance. Real vein opening techniques were, quite rightly, seen as "too much information" for an audience including 5th formers. We need to be aware of the "don't do this at home" element as well as H&S for performers. RA's are meant to take account of youth, inexperience and young peoples lower levels of discipline and stagecraft. In Ynot's terms, we have to draw the line at a more conservative level than that for adults. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth A Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Totally agree Paul. However 8 year old child maximum 4"8 I think it was - washing line was around 5 1/2 feet. ! :-) Most of the children we got couldnt even touch it with their arms raised! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ynot Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 However 8 year old child maximum 4"8 I think it was - washing line was around 5 1/2 feet. ! :-) Most of the children we got couldnt even touch it with their arms raised!That's why I'm a little taken aback. If this line were anywhere near the height of the tallest potential child you use OR it had any potential to sag lower then I could understand the issue. BUT from your own description it WAS more than high enough and you COULD guarantee that it wouldn't sag or drop. So my argument to that would have been that the RA was perfectly suitable and covered the angles. Of course, if it were just an advisory note that they made giving cause for concern then yes I would maybe have considered changes if it were me, but to threaten the pulling of the kids licences over something that appears (to me) to be well in hand and properly managed does seem rather draconian... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gareth A Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Yep. However that aside, like I mentioned before, they were pretty nice to deal with.! Just that side of it. Correct. Not one other even questioned it. We did full walk through rehearsals going under the washing line with the resident director and chaperones. Then run at speed with whole cast later. We couldn't not even do that. However - we did accept it, as we did accept that they govern that. But yes - draconian to say the least! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.