Creative Ideas for Staging Flying Sequences Without Wires

Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, and The Wizard of Oz are just some of the wonderful stories featuring characters that can fly. Many great plays feature flying sequences, but how do we stage those fantastical moments? Most schools do not have the budget or resources to use wire rigs, nor would the administration likely permit a high-risk venture like that. (Parents also likely wouldn’t be keen on having their children suspended from wires at school.)

First, have a discussion with your students about “suspension of disbelief,” which is the idea that audiences are willing to set aside critical thinking and logic to enjoy a story. We know that students cannot actually fly. Even in hyper-realistic movies, students understand that flying effects are created with green screens, computer animation, and all sorts of practical effects. In the theatre, we are generally even more limited, because even with the most sophisticated flying rigs and hydraulic systems, audiences can usually see them, and know they’re there regardless. However, that doesn’t detract from the audience’s enjoyment of the show as a whole. It’s no different in educational theatre. The audience knows going in that they’re going to be seeing something interesting and creative, and they’re looking forward to seeing what these moments will be onstage.

With that in mind, try the following ideas for creatively staging a flying sequence. They’re safe, effective, and a lot of fun. Some of the ideas could be combined to make an even more exciting sequence. You can use them in your next school production, or challenge your students to come up with a creative solution to stage a flying sequence of their own. See the giveaway below for instructions for this creative challenge lesson.

1. Build a platform with casters and push/pull your actor on or offstage to make it look like they’re floating. Be sure to include a handhold or harness system so the actor doesn’t fall while starting or stopping the movement.

2. Have your actor enter on a balcony, scaffold, or raised platform (with safety railings in place) while the rest of the cast looks up at them from below.

3. Have your actor stand on a rehearsal cube painted the same colour as the floor or the set, while other actors with cutouts of clouds or birds move around them. Have another student nearby in case the actor standing on the block needs a hand to get up or down, or if they’re feeling unsteady.

4. Choreograph a dance sequence with lots of leaps and jumps. You can use large strips of fabric, gymnastics ribbons, or play silks to add some whimsy and colour to the sequence.

5. Hire a fight or dance choreographer (or even a cheerleading coach) to teach your actors to do safe lifts, and lift your actor high in the air.

6. Use miniatures or puppets (highlighted by a super-focused spotlight or “pin spot”) of the actors who are flying.

7. Use a fog machine to mask actors’ feet while they move around the stage.

8. Use a mirror ball to create the effect of moving through the stars in the sky. You might also use a fan to make it look like the wind is blowing through the actors’ hair.

9. Use a video or photo projection of the flying moment, either by itself, or have the actual student actor stand in front of the projection to make it look like they’re the one flying.

10. If the scene features an actor flying in a plane or helicopter, have the actor hold a miniature or toy plane or helicopter above their head while they move across the stage. Or, build a large propeller on a stick and have another actor puppet the propeller near the flying actor. For a comedic scene, have the actor wear a propeller cap.