Mark Fisher
Theaterdekorateur und Bühnenbildner (KÀ)
Trained in the late 1960s, British architect Mark Fisher’s interest in building temporary structures and inflatables caught the attention of Roger Waters and led to his first rock ’n’ roll commission for Pink Floyd’s Animals tour in1977, a time when rock touring was in its infancy and sets for rock concerts were non-existent.
Mark has since earned an international reputation for his spectacular concert designs. His best-known work includes The Wall and Division Bell for Pink Floyd, Steel Wheels, Bridges to Babylon and Bigger Bang for the Rolling Stones, as well as Popmart for U2. Most recently he was Chief Designer for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and U2’s 2009-10 360° tour.
KÀ was the first Cirque du Soleil show Mark worked on, designing both the permanent theatre and the technically complex sets. He says the biggest difference between designing a rock show and a Cirque show is that in the former, the scenery is more of a background while in the latter, it’s part of the landscape in which the performers live and move to create their show.
“In Viva Elvis, the line between the scenery elements and the acrobatic equipment is sometimes blurred,” explains Mark Fisher. “And that was a deliberate choice. Elvis has transcended reality and become a mythic figure, so his reappearance in Las Vegas must be done with a scale and opulence that reflects his status.”
Mark Fisher was born in Kenilworth, England in 1947.