FAST& FURIOUS LIVE
The four-wheeled stars of the hit movie franchise are coming to a city near you in a new live-action arena show
IF YOU’R E A FA N OF anything on four wheels, chances are you have been exposed to at least a little bit of the fanfare generated by the Fast & Furious franchise. There is no denying that the institution has brought with it a whole new generation of car fans, and now Fast & Furious has jumped off the big screen and into a spectacular arena show. It’s playing at various locations around the UK and Europe, and evo recently attended the spectacular opening night at London’s O2 Arena.
Masterminded by Rowland French, Fast & Furious Live has been developed to give fans of the series a taste of the action in a live format. In development for nearly five years, the production team had to break new ground in liveaction special effects to bring together a show able to recreate some of the movies’ most iconic scenes.
Digital projection mapping was one such innovation, with overhead projectors filling the show floor with environments relevant to each scene. One such use was in the recreation of the opening race from 2 Fast 2 Furious, in which Paul Walker’s silver Nissan Skyline GT-R is pitched against rivals. In this layout, the drivers not only recreated the action live, but did so in LED- clad cars, virtually creating each respective livery, all while interacting with the overhead projections. The effects were developed specifically for Fast & Furious Live, and provided one of the most thrilling scenes of the evening.
The action takes place within a 50 x 25 metre stage set, with each of the sequences played out by expertly trained drivers from a background in stunt driving or the professional drift circuit. Ultimately, the compact stage size does limit the action, but it also fosters an impressive combination of car control and innovative choreography.
If you’re a fan of the films, you’ll find plenty to like in Fast & Furious Live, with all the thrills, spills and army surplus vehicles that make the movies such a hit with audiences.
The tour visits Sheffield, Newcastle, Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast and Glasgow, between 27 April and 13 May. For tickets (from £42), head to fastandfuriouslive.com.