Stage machinery

[5] This was a pair of vertical runners used to raise or lower a long profile of low scenery such as a groundrow, pieces of scenery made of canvas stretched over wood and used to represent items such as water or flowers, through a narrow slot in the stage floor.

The scruto could be mounted vertically and rolled up or down to change the scenery or horizontally in the stage floor to form a trap cover.

The joists of the stage floor were cut and the opening was concealed in different ways, depending on the type of trap.

The hole through which the actor appeared consisted of triangular flaps, hinged with leather, which opened upwards, resembling a star.

The trap closed immediately with no visible opening, giving the illusion that the actor had appeared through the solid stage floor.

The first pantomime at Alexandra Palace Theatre, 'The Yellow Dwarf' had to be delayed when an actor twisted his spine and sprained muscles in his back in preparation for the role.

[5][10] These traps used a counterweighted platform and slatted shutters, sometimes made of scruto, which allowed an actor to rise through the stage floor while at the same time moving across it.

[5][12] These had an area of about 2 feet square, covered by a piece of scruto[5] and would have been situated at each side of the stage near the proscenium arch.

[4] This idea was further developed in Italy in the late 14th century using ropes and pulleys so that many actors could descend or ascend together.

[26] George's son Joseph continued the business and founded Kirby's Flying Ballet troupe, which performed in the first half of the 20th century.