Set under the Iron(Safety Curtain)

[lamp207]

Afternoon All,

 

A show ,which is in pre-production, requires a 6m turntable to be 1m over the setting line - onto the fore stage. This also means that it will be under the safety curtain. Can I get advise on set being under the iron?

 

Thanks,

 

S

[richard]

Depends on the venue and the local council rules. Some council's will agree to a temporary dispensation meaning the iron can be disabled during the run of this show, some won't.

 

Sometimes it's possible to build a fire block under the set so that the iron can sit on top of the revolve and still serve its purpose.

 

The venue also need to ensure that its insurers are happy with whatever is put in place as they might not cover any damage if the iron is out when a fire occurs - especially at night.

[paulears]

The iron is often missed from the new premises licenses - my venue has a fully functioning traditional safety curtain - yet no longer features at all in the licence. On the occasions when something will block it, we just do the usual risk assessment, determine off the risk is acceptable and do what it suggests. My experience is much like Richard's -the Councils might, where the iron still its a feature of the license, if a decent case is put forward. In my summer venue, the draconian rules apply to the nightclub and bars, but have actually eased up for the theatre. They seem to be aimed at the parts covered by the 4am closing license!

[Jivemaster]

Whoever is responsible in the venue organisation for the venue licence needs to read the terms of licence with regard to the iron, being lowered in view of the audience, and being in place overnight.

 

Maybe there can be a space in one place on the revolve where the iron can come down low and sit on something to seal the iron to the floor.

[paulears]

Even when we had mention of the iron in the license before they morphed into basically alcohol licenses, we never had any requirement to show the iron. The requirement was to have a functional safety curtain. We have it serviced each year, but oddly the drencher system was also never included in the license, nor the remote panel. This was damaged in a fire more than ten years ago, and the wire in tube method of operation I doubt still works because of the water applied to the fire - which was on the wall with the panel. So to the best of my knowledge, I doubt the panel works, and if it did, I doubt it would allow the resetting to work.

[GridGirl]

I've done shows where the iron lands on the set - but the set had to be wall-to-wall under it, no gaps. It'll depend on local laws though.

[Jivemaster]

You HAVE an iron, but does your current licence require an iron? An iron to be "dropped and shown to every audience" ? An iron painted white and used for projection?

[kerry davies]

Being in Scotland things might be slightly different, the enforcement authority is the Fire and Rescue Service rather than the Local Authority EHO. You should already have THIS GUIDE which is comprehensive but still only a guide. The problem might be the tiny sub-clause which states that fire curtains shall not be obstructed and how your local fire officer reads that. (Or doesn't bother reading it!)

 

In my limited theatrical experience about 50% of fire irons don't even work and "showing the iron" is getting rarer even in those that do work. The main point is that you have thought about it and are Risk Assessing it because under the Regulatory Reform provisions you are responsible for fire safety and not the LA or FRS.

 

I just knew I would find one that would upset Jive. :D

Try projection on this.

[Jivemaster]

With six basses across the back of the pit anything is fine by me. The Old Theatre Royal in Nottingham had a painted surround to a frame that had ads for local businesses projected using an arc projector, (years ago!).

[Roderick]

Fire curtain at the Palacio de Bella Artes in Mexico.

It does a whole 'sunrise, sunset' sequence before it flies out.

 

http://catalogo.inba.gob.mx/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/03bellasArtes.jpg