Workhouse-style Trestle Tables!

[Jack B Drury]

Hello!!

 

We are doing a production of Oliver in late june this year and the director is planning to have the whole audience sat at workhouse style trestle tables. The performance will feature promenade-esk, fourth wall shattering moments where the cast performs on the tables, so they will have to be suitable to support the weight of a leaping workhouse child.

 

So far, our searches for effective solutions have been unsuccessful due to cost, build quality or lack of stock (our theatre seats about 100 people, so we need more than the average oliver production).

 

I was wondering if any of you lovely members know of a company that might hire such things out, or if you have come across a cost effective alternative. There is a thought that we might cannibalize some picnic tables, but I fear the expense of this particular option. Plus - I will then end up with 20 picnic benches that will need a home post show.

 

We are based on the outskirts of essex, close to London!

 

Any and all suggestions appreciated.

 

 

Peace and Love!

 

 

 

[ddproduction]

Scout groups often have sturdy trestle tables - might be worth getting in touch with a local group?

[ImagineerTom]

The fact you plan to have people walking/dancing/leaping on them means you shouldn't be looking for actual tables (which won't have the strength, stability or durability) but should be looking at a rostra/staging system that can easily be decorated to make it look like tables but actually be suitable for what you're planning. Steeldeck type staging with a ply skin on it for example?

[kerry davies]

DO NOT USE TRESTLES! Certainly not the ones scouts have as dd suggests.

 

My oppo has just made 20 banqueting trestles with inch and a quarter thick beech tops. They would definitely take the weight but not the movement, they would collapse. You need proprietary staging. Even rostra are mostly not suitable for bouncing around on.

 

If you can't do it safely, you must not do it, as Roderick states in another current topic. Especially as I suspect this might be for a school.

 

Love and Peace.

[paulears]

Schools ban ladders, steps of any kind and even sometimes those little gadgets on spring loaded castors! Yet they float the idea of dancing on tables. Especially worrysome because the dancing style for that show is frequently very stumpy/stompy isn't it?

[Owain]

For sitting on, what about gymnasium 'balance benches'

 

http://www.balancebench.co.uk/

 

http://www.eventprophire.com/themes/furniture-hire-all/wooden-school-gym-bench

 

I don't know where you could hire a large number - if you're a local authority school could you call in favours from other schools and borrow theirs?

 

Not sure where you'd get danceable-on tables though.

 

 

[dombrown]

Are you wanting to dance on all of them? Perhaps use a marquee hire company for trestle tables that will not be used for dancing on?

[J Pearce]

When I did Rent we found the folding tables fold in the middle (like - http://www.costcuttersuk.com/folding_mobile_dining_tables/spaceright_1216_seat_rectangle_folding_bench_unit/156650_p.html) were brilliant for dancing upon.

Very expensive bits of kit, but we had convenient access to a large number already on site.

[Tom Lovick]

For this I would definitely use staging, just for the weight and stability required for dancing & movement on it.

 

I would recommend contacting Henley Theatre Services, in Henley-On-Thames, they stock the RAT stands Stage 3 system, with 2m X 0.5m platforms perfect for this that you could clad and dress up to look like tables.

[cedd]

When we did Rent we also needed tables that could be danced on. We ended up building our own from sprinkler pipe and fittings, with additional welds on the corners and 24mm MDF tops. They're a 4 person lift but they're rock solid. Think we still have one long one and 2 small (square top) ones in the warehouse.

 

They were only cheap to make because our main sponsor is a fire sprinkler company!

 

http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t335/ceddison/Rent%20tables/db7f9142.jpg

 

http://i513.photobucket.com/albums/t335/ceddison/Rent%20tables/48f3d681.jpg

 

 

Anything lesser than this construction and I really wouldn't want people stood on them.

 

Remember also that a true trestle table has an overhang at either end. Get somebody stood on an end with nobody to counterbalance it and they're going to flip the table over.