Yuen Long Theatre opens its newly renovated theatre stage with Harlequin Liberty Switch, enabling a diverse variety of performances at the Hong Kong theatre.

This world-first theatre project was the first time Harlequin has collaborated with TAIT on a stage that involved a wagon and an 11m diameter revolve with Harlequin Liberty Switch®.

The Yuen Long Theatre in Hong Kong has become a centre for the arts in the Northwest region of the New Territories.

Steven Snow, TAIT Asia VP Operations, said: “It’s not been a client/vendor relationship, it’s been a partnership all the way through the project. It has allowed us to deliver a world class venue on time that we can all be proud of.

“Harlequin Liberty Switch allows the theatre to go between a solid stage floor and a ballet sprung dance floor instantaneously. This is a unique system that is one of a kind in the world.”

Harlequin Liberty Switch is a revolutionary award-winning multi-use flooring system designed for venues which regularly put on both dance and theatrical performances. The switchable floor is achieved by using moving carriages which engage with stop blocks on the underside of Harlequin Liberty panels to create a rigid floor and disengage to create a sprung floor.

Craig Thomson, Harlequin Contracts Director, said: “The challenge with having a revolve is all of the curves and the locking mechanism. We’ve had to invent a brand new locking system for this application to be successful. It has been a brilliant collaboration and the team has worked really hard on this project.”

TAIT won the project as the only bidder who could devise a way to install a densely packed flybar winch array so that Yuen Long Theatre could perform maintenance and regular rope inspections.

Upcoming performances at the Yuen Long Theatre include the Hong Kong Youth Orchestra, the Variety Show Ceremony, and the Hong Kong Vigor Marching Band Annual Concert.