Matthew answers your FAQs about his shows.
How much space do you need?
How long does it take you to set up?
How far do you travel?
Do you need to close the entire school field for an outdoor show?
Our theatre has a carpeted floor. Is this a problem?
We have a nervous health and safety manager. Can you help?
How much space do you need?
Most school halls, lecture theatres and drama theatre spaces are fine. As a rough guide, I usually need a ceiling height of at least 4m. I can work to 3.5m, but it means smaller calibre demonstration materials. I’d ask you to send me some photos of the room once you’ve confirmed your booking.
How long does it take you to set up?
It depends on the show. As a rule of thumb, firework/pyrotechnic/special effect science stage shows take around 1.5 hours to fully rig and test before the audience can be admitted. Outdoor firework labs and lectures can take up to 2.5 hours to set up (longer if a firework display is included).
How far do you travel?
I cover all areas of the UK. I am based in Bristol, but regularly travel up and down the country to present shows and give lectures, so distance isn’t a problem. I’ve performed several times in Northern Ireland and Scotland and all shows are costed based on the distance from Bristol.
Do you need to close the entire school field for an outdoor show?
This all depends on your school site. Outdoor demonstrations usually require a football-pitch sized area. We would normally cordon-off one end whilst we set up. Then we’d extend the cordon in the last 40 minutes to ensure that the field is secured and safe for explosive demonstrations. After the show, the field will remain closed until we’ve checked for hazardous materials, tidied up and restored the field to its original state.
Our theatre has a carpeted floor. Is this a problem?
So long as it is isn’t a deep pile carpet, this isn’t actually much of an issue. I use a temporary flame retardant floor covering and flash boards to shield the carpet from hot debris. I always carry flame proofing treatment for upholstery and exposed fabrics as an additional measure. I’d also use pyrotechnics with very low or cool fallout – i.e. not designed to drop any hot sparks onto the floor.
We have a nervous health and safety manager. Can you help?
Most definitely! A key part of my job in the fireworks and pyrotechnics industry is liaising with health and safety managers and inspectors. I ensure that there is a full risk management procedure in place before I begin any show involving pyrotechnics. I am more than happy to speak to your colleagues directly if it would help to put them at ease. Often, nerves and misgivings arise as a result of not fully understanding the materials I’m using and what I’m going to be doing in a show. My motto is: If in doubt, ask me! I’ll do my best to help.