THE BRIEF:
Lady Gaga demands originality and quality. One of Area 51’s most high-profile creations is her surreal spider piano, which amazed guests at the Royal Variety Performance – as well as TV viewers worldwide. The American pop star wanted to descend to her key-board from theatre’s fly-tower on a suspended piano stool, wearing a red PVC outfit featuring a floor-length cloak together with an Elizabethan styled collar. This stunning stage centre-piece needed to be turned around in super-quick time by Area 51. The piano stilts design was reminiscent of the spindly animal legs in Salvador Dali’s ‘Temptation of St Anthony’. But they needed to be strong and stable too.
THE BUILD:
The 10-foot tall instrument was produced in less than a week by Area 51 out of steel, polystyrene, fabric and gloss sheeting, and accompanied by its own special stool, also made in-house. She performed her track ‘Speechless’ for the prestigious event which was televised across the world from the Opera House in Blackpool, creating a global storm of media interest.
GALLERY
