Many Georgian and Victorian theatres had a basic wooden tracked flying mechanism permanently installed and no baroque opera was complete without a deus ex machina effect. During the meticulous restoration of the magnificent Opera House in Newcastle - the world's oldest working Victorian theatre - such a track was discovered and Hi-Fli was pleased to be invited to create the flying effects for the inaugural production of 'Peter Pan', which was designed to utilise all of the stage's impressive equipment.

With the advent of the modern large scale musical, Hi-Fli took the lead in the UK in developing a range of robust, versatile tracked flying systems. Our tracking is quickly rigged to an existing theatre flying bar or a temporary truss installation. The track itself can be configured to fly a single performer or two performers (who can fly quite independently of each other) or a prop such as a flying carpet or hot-air balloon basket.

The ease of installation has been an attractive feature for production managers working on a complex installation - such as the international tour of 'Peter Pan on Ice'. The versatility of our approach in unusual venues was seen in the recent much-acclaimed presentation of 'Karneski's Ghost Train'. Our 40 years of experience allows us to work closely with the performers, the creative and technical teams to best create an effect - such as with Take That's tour. A speedy installation is a must for productions working on a tight schedule - as many amateur companies appreciate with their busy Sunday get-in requirements - especially during the recent popularity of 'The Witches of Eastwick'.