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TAKE THAT - This Life On Tour 2024

Concerts & Touring

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PIC BY RHM PRODUCTIONS

THIS LIFE is the 12th concert tour by the iconic British boyband Take That supporting their like named studio album This Life (2023). The first leg of the tour kicked off at the Utilita Arena Sheffield on 13 April 2024 to conclude in Manchester June 2024. 

The lively, colourful aesthetics is the vision of the band’s creative director Kim Gavin and the result of some serious creative and technical talents who have collaborated to bring action packed drama to a strong, highly entertaining performance. Count in two 6-tonne kinetic staircases, a main stage jammed with lifts, a spinning satellite stage and a moving catwalk between both together with jaw dropping projections, rain curtains, snow, wind and dancing flames. All this to support the band’s epic retrospective of their 30-year long music career.

The show opens with the staircases side by side taking the form of a giant retro television set and the 3 boys Gary Barlow, Howard Donald and Mark Owen emerging from it on stage. They open with new songs to then take their fans back in time.

THE CHALLENGE

WI were asked on-board early November 2023 by production manager Chris Vaughan to support with the design and fabrication of stage structures, elevators and automated elements in close collaboration with set designer Stufish, lighting designer Tim Routledge and Video Design, ER Productions and NEG Earth to specify and construct the numerous custom elements.

It is already the second time our expertise has been valued high enough to be part of a TAKE THAT production. For the first edition WI were in for the fabrication of a 20 meter diameter circular stage, elevators and automation elements to the highly acclaimed 2017 WONDERLAND tour.

For this show we can safely conclude that both main stage and B-stage are almost entirely WI fabricated and motion controlled except for the band risers, tech bunkers and stairs fabricated by The Next Stage. Lighting pods high up in the air and catwalk between both stages are operated by Neg Earth motion hoists.

For this show we can safely conclude that both main stage and B-stage are almost entirely WI fabricated and motion controlled.

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TAKE THAT, LIVE IN O2 ARENA - PIC BY JAY STONE

THE MAIN STAGE

Check the remarkable ‘white concrete texture’ floor.

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The impressive main stage with WIDECK system measures 21.3 x 23.4 meters, has various stairs for access and a platform height set at 1950mm. Highlight is undoubtedly the finishing, quite unique for a floor and referred to by Stufish’s Ric Lipson as ‘white concrete texture’.

It’s a fact that in our long career we have seldom seen a stage so jam-packed with motion elements which of course implies that the remaining substage space had to be very cleverly used to create aisles, tech and quick change rooms. The band’s ambition was obvious: a non-stop follow up of stunning visual show effects. 

Let’s take a look at the effects created by the numerous WI systems and devices integrated in the floor.

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  • Our standard lift TP05 to elevate performers from floor level to the top of the staircase structure.
  • Our TP07 lift to move technicians and performers invisibly from under the stage right into the staircase structures.
  • Our TP03 lift masts at the very downstage to create a 5m x 2m piano lift.
  • Rolling band risers SL and SR constructed by The Next Stage that WI move US/DS via an integrated WI floor track system. This allows the band to come to the forefront and closely interact with Take That.
  • Automated pantograph staircases allow Take That to safely and rapidly make their way to the quick change areas in the substage.

MAGIC STAIRCASES

The staircases are the highlights of this show good for an explosive variety of visually stunning effects.

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PIC BY RHM PRODUCTIONS

Centre pieces of the show are the 2 massive staircase structures that move both on and offstage as well as down or upstage and spin 360°. Two 10m long integrated ground tracks driven by our automated chain hoists move the trolley with rotator and allow the various moves of the 6 ton heavy staircase structures.

The staircase structures are 100% WI fabricated in our warehouses in Heist-Op-Den-Berg. A clever design with numerous integrated lighting fixtures, fire pits, automated handrails and sliding video screens. These sliding transparent video screens are key to the dramatic opening scene, allowing Take That to appear from inside the mimicked old style tv screen.

SPINNING B-STAGE

Seldom have we seen so many motion elements integrated on such a small surface.

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PIC BY RHM PRODUCTIONS

This secondary stage measures 6,4 x 6,4m, sits at 1,35m above the field at the center of the venue, has the same look and feel as the main stage with the white concrete finish and boasts a 5m diameter elevating circular rotating centre part allowing Take That to perform really close to their fans. 

The show is a sequence of fluent change-over scenes, each one of them creating an amazing world where everything moves in changing dynamic landscapes. Water curtains, fountains, a confetti storm, low fog and even burning staircase steps all add to the entertaining and energetic show Take That are bringing. Value for your ticket money guaranteed!

 

WITEAM

  • Koen Peeters – Team Lead
  • Cas Verbruggen – Project Manager 
  • Sam Melotte – WI Crew Chief
  • Adrian Typkiewicz -  WI-Operator
  • Koen Dekunst – WI-motion tech
  • Tim Lubberts – WI-motion tech
  • Stefan Schumacher – WI-motion tech

PRODUCTION PARTNERS

  • Chris Vaughan - Production Director
  • Richard “Wez” Wearing – Production Manager
  • Stufish Studio - Set Design 
  • Kim Gavin - Creative Director 
  • Tim Routledge – Lighting Design
  • Luke Halls Studio -Video Design
  • ER Productions 
  • NEG Earth
  • The Next Stage
  • Buffalo Power Services
  • Skan PA
  • Stageco Group

Together with a fine selection of talented creative, technical and productional crew teams.