When your job consists of world-class musicians and trapeze artists, there is zero room for error.
This bank holiday weekend, John Sutch Cranes traded the construction site for the spotlight to deliver a standout project in the heart of Southport.
Supporting the global touring production Cristal Palace by the renowned French company Transe Express, our team was tasked with the precision lifting of a massive 12m chandelier rig. The spectacle transformed Southport into an open-air ballroom, with aerial performers suspended high above a live audience.
Operating a crane in a live performance environment presents a unique set of challenges. Unlike a standard site lift, this operation required constant, fluid coordination with performers and musicians working simultaneously on the suspended rig.
Phil Miller, Technical Sales Representative at John Sutch Cranes, who organised the lift, explains:
"This was a standout project for the team. Delivering lifting operations in a live environment like this requires absolute precision, planning, and coordination, particularly when you have performers moving dynamically on the rig. It’s a different kind of pressure when the 'load' is a team of artists."
The project utilised the Manitowoc Grove GMK5250L, chosen for its incredible versatility and smooth control. Its ability to provide stable, pinpoint accuracy made it the perfect tool for an environment where safety and aesthetics are equally paramount.
Communication is the backbone of any successful lift and on this project, it took on a more international flavour.
"Credit to the team for delivering this so professionally," Phil adds.
"We had Les on the levers, with Jimmy and Nile managing the ground operations. And yes… being fluent in both French and Scouse definitely helped us bridge the gap with the Transe Express crew to ensure everything went off without a hitch!"
If you missed the spectacle in Southport, you can catch the behind-the-scenes footage and the chandelier in flight on our Instagram and TikTok channels.
