Stage One was commissioned to recreate the colossal set for Dolly Parton’s musical smash-hit Smoky Mountain, which transferred from the USA to London in 2022 to play at the Southbank Centre over the festive season.

Delivering the core scenic elements, the project utilised different skills from across the business, with a large demand on our paint shop. Supplied with detailed drawings from the original designer, even down to paint elevation references, the team translated measurements from imperial to metric, before converting into manufacturing manuscripts for the workshop. The build included two key components; the general store, a 3-legged flown structure which was the framework to the set; and two mining hoist wheel structures that stood at a towering 7.5m, secured to the fly deck above. 

The backdrop to the show was an impressive 12.5m w x 8m h scenic cloth, hand-painted by our in-house team.

In addition, the team developed the curtains, two timber frame portals, graphics and painted floor. The client was invited to our facilities for sign off before jointly de-rigging and preparing the set ready for transportation. The project team created fixing boxes, fully-labelled to support the client with a clean and quick build at the venue.