Above - A Sketch of the substage machinery at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, drawn by Jimmy Needle - From the personal collection of Alec Marlow - Courtesy Phil Davis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above - Pictures taken in October 2006 of the Substage machinery beneath the stage of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane which used hydraulics to lift and lower the stage in various ways.

The Stage Lifts in Action - September 2008

In the photographs above, all taken in 2006, the substage machinery and Stage Lifts at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane had not worked for many decades. However, after the run of 'Lord of the Rings' at the Theatre in 2008 the machinery and lifts needed to be reinstated because much of it was removed to house the production's multi-lifting revolve, this was stipulated by English Heritage before it was allowed to be removed because of its Grade I Listed status. During the reinstation the machinery was once again made to work and images of the lifts in action are shown below.

 

Above - Roger Fox, who was in charge of reinstating the Lifts and successfully got them working again, the first time for many decades, makes a speech before demonstrating the lifts in action.

 

Above - Geoff Wallace of Dorothea Restorations Ltd who carried out the engineering work to re-instate the hydraulics.
operates the ancient levers in the substage.

 

Above - The Lifts begin to rise...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Above - Photographs taken on September the 25th 2008 at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane showing the substage machinery and Stage Lifts in action again at the Theatre. The Machinery had to be reinstated because it was Grade I listed and because much of it was removed to house the production of Lord of the Rings' multi-lifting revolve. All Photographs M.L. 2008.