Under the Open Sky: NYMT’s Carousel
At Production LX, we love projects that push the boundaries of what’s possible in live performance. This summer, we worked with the National Youth Music Theatre (NYMT) to transform a car park in Birmingham into a fully equipped outdoor theatre for their production of Carousel.
What started as an empty, uneven car park became a professional venue complete with a main stage, covered seating banks, a band platform, full site power, and integrated lighting and sound infrastructure all designed specifically for this ambitious outdoor production.
Bringing Theatre to an Open Air Venue
Staging a large scale musical outdoors brings a unique set of challenges. Unlike a traditional theatre, there was no existing stage, seating, or technical infrastructure everything had to be designed and built from scratch.
One of the biggest obstacles was the uneven ground of the car park itself. Every platform from the main stage to the seating banks had to be carefully levelled to ensure stability, safety, and a professional finish. This was especially critical for the main stage, which was designed to wrap around the carousel positioned behind it, creating a performance space that connected seamlessly with the scenic elements.
A Stage Designed Around the Carousel
The entire stage layout was designed with the carousel as the visual focal point. We built a custom shaped deck that wrapped around the carousel positioned behind the main playing area, creating a performance space that felt fully integrated with the set while giving the cast a professional, purpose built platform for the production.
Covered Seating and Rigging for Lighting & Sound
The seating banks themselves were a major part of the project, built to provide the audience with a comfortable and professional viewing experience in the middle of what had been an empty car park only days earlier. Each bank was carefully levelled on the uneven ground to ensure complete stability and a clear view of the stage from every seat. With multiple tiers, the layout gave the audience excellent sightlines while maximising the available space on site.
Above the seating areas, we constructed large truss canopy structures that completely transformed the look and feel of the venue. These weren’t just there for appearance they served two key purposes. Firstly, they offered full weather protection, allowing the show to continue whatever the conditions. Secondly, they provided load-rated rigging points for both lighting fixtures and PA speakers, keeping all technical equipment safely positioned and perfectly aimed at the stage.
By combining shelter for the audience with the infrastructure needed for sound and lighting, these canopies became an essential part of the overall venue design, blending practicality with professional production values.
Full Site Infrastructure
In addition to staging and audience facilities, we delivered full site power distribution across the entire venue. This included dedicated feeds for lighting, sound, and auxiliary systems.
We also supplied a band platform with protective cover, giving the musicians a weather safe performance space that still allowed them to be fully integrated into the production.
Turning a Car Park Into a Theatre
By the time the first audience arrived, the car park had been transformed into a fully functioning outdoor theatre. Despite the challenges of uneven ground, outdoor conditions, and multiple large structures, the venue was safe, professional, and perfectly suited to the demands of Carousel.
Bringing It All Together
Working on Carousel was a fantastic opportunity to show how Production LX can adapt to any environment, providing complete outdoor theatre infrastructure from staging and seating to power and technical rigging.
If you’re planning an outdoor performance and need expert support to turn any location into a professional venue, the team at Production LX has the experience, equipment, and passion to make it happen.
