Theatre's lorry lift provides Showstopper!

Passers-by will be treated to an eye-catching spectacle as scenery is delivered to the Leeds Grand Theatre in future- when lorries are lifted two floors above street level!

A new £750,000 lorry lift system will revolutionise the process of getting scenery, lighting, props and costumes into the building when touring companies visit.

Previously the theatre staff and performance companies had the arduous process of raising equipment piece by piece using a small winch to the second floor from ground floor level.

But the new lift will physically hoist lorries to second-floor height so that their sides can be lowered and all the scenery directly off-loaded through a special new “get-in-door” on the scenery bridge.

And donning their hard hats on Monday (Sept 11 th ) to test out the state-of-the-art structure for themselves are three of the main players in the theatre's restoration: Cllr John Procter, executive member for Leisure at Leeds City Council; Warren Smith, general manager of the Leeds Grand Theatre, and Richard Mantle, general director of Opera North, whose company will have a new permanent home at the theatre as part of the scheme.

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When:   Monday September 11 th , 3.30pm

Where:   Leeds Grand Theatre side entrance, New Briggate

What:    Official testing of the new lorry lift by Cllr John Procter, Warren Smith and Richard Mantle, who will go up in a 40ft lorry to see for themselves how it works.

The lorry lift is thought to be the only one of its kind for use outside a building in the UK. Its outdoor situation and prominence meant that a lot of attention had to be paid to the appearance of the barriers surrounding it so it does not appear too obtrusive.

It was constructed and tested in Germany before being dismantled into two main components for transportation to Leeds, where it required a special 500-tonne mobile crane to lift it into place.

When not in use it is housed in a purpose-built concrete pit, sunk up to four metres below street level, 18.5 metres long and 4.2 metres wide.

It is essentially a large scissor lift which employs two pairs of hydraulic rams to raise lorries weighing up to 40 tonnes and as long as 16.5 metres to around six metres above street level.

The testing is one of the major milestones in the run-up to the theatre's official re-opening in early October after the £23m Phase 1 of its restoration. The opening night will see the first performance of Opera North's Rigoletto on October 7 th .

As Phase 1 is completed, plans are being developed for the second phase of the restoration. Subject to funding being secured, this will see the theatre's Assembly Rooms brought back into public use and major improvements to the theatre's front of house areas.