It’s like a dream. Sailing on a cruise ship in the Caribbean. Surrounded by gorgeous settings, you decide to spend the evening at the on-board theatre. A magician is on the programme tonight. The curtain goes up with a distinctive creaking sound, audible despite the hearty applause. But you’re so excited in anticipation of the show that you don’t notice it.
The production is wonderful and leaves the audience spellbound. Sometimes it’s so silent you can hear the magician breathing. Then, the curtain goes down.
Krshhhhuuuuiiiiiizzzz.
The public shudders. That noise again. What on earth … ?
Kruiiiiiiishhhhhzz.
Panic reads in some eyes. Is the ship hitting an iceberg? In the Caribbean? No. It’s just the stage machinery squeaking and screeching – sweeping away all the magic of the moment.
Luckily, the scenario above is just a flight of fancy. But like action on stage, silence is often a critical part of productions. Allowing the magic of silence to remain is the knack of STATEC Bühnentechnik GmbH, a company based in Karlsruhe and Duisburg, Germany. Together with German technology giant Siemens, Statec has developed high-precision silent rope winches. Thanks to their innovative design, theatre machine rooms used for noise reduction are no longer needed.
One of Statec’s major clients is the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, a company that builds luxurious cruise vessels. In addition to swimming pools, casinos and restaurants, their ships are equipped with theatres for plays and other productions. Statec sells low-noise units for these “stages at sea,” for example their Whispering WinchT that moves the scenery and curtains through a computerised system. These winches are fitted with bearings from SKF.
So the next time you visit a theatre, whether on land or at sea, remember to listen to the silence – it is an art in itself.