Disney’s The Magic Box, a spellbinding theatrical spectacle that brings classic Disney moments to life in a bold, arena-scale production, opened on last month in Doha after a successful five-week run at the Etihad Arena, Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. Behind the scenes of the UAE leg of this technically complex tour was Unusual Rigging & Engineering (URE).
With a need for fly bars, Kinesys automation, and high-capacity performer flying winches, the show is a theatrical production layered within an arena tour — demanding a rigging solution that blends theatre precision with touring efficiency.
“From the moment I joined Proactiv Entertainment, I’ve always enjoyed working with Unusual Rigging,” said Dani Marin, senior technical manager at Proactiv Entertainment, the company behind the Middle East tour. “They’re my go-to team — and, in my opinion, the most professional, well-resourced company you can find both here in the region. Everyone who works at the company, brings a can-do attitude and deep expertise. No matter the challenges or obstacles, we talk it through and we make it happen. This is rare in our industry and we highly value the enormous effort behind this.”
The Magic Box tour began in early February at the Etihad Arena, where Unusual supplied all chain motors, trusses, and rigging hardware, recreating a flyable theatre grid in a space not designed for it. With no existing fly bars in the arena, the team operated across two shifts and 16-hour days to transform the venue, prepping it in advance so incoming tour containers could go straight into show-ready mode.
“We needed to create a black box from scratch — rig all the soft goods, hang 12 fly bars, and make it all disappear into the shadows,” said Dani. “To the audience, it’s all magic. But behind that is a mountain of planning, drawings, calculations, and teamwork.”
Unusual’s provision included flying winches, shipped in from the UK and kept in the region for the Doha leg. This early involvement was critical — including a site visit with URE’s Richard Hoare in December, where the team took hundreds of reference photos to pre-visualise and plan the rigging environment.
In Doha, the venue shifted to a theatre, which came with its own set of challenges. The Etihad rig had to be reworked and adapted to fit within the new space, with URE once again replicating the critical elements needed for the show to run safely and smoothly.
“URE was allocated two uninterrupted days on stage for load-in and the same for load-out,” Dani added.
“That dedicated window was essential. It meant they could focus, set everything correctly, and then get out clean. That’s the kind of trust and professionalism they bring — it’s why we keep coming back.”
Disney’s The Magic Box is touring as part of Proactiv’s growing presence in the region, with headquarters in Spain and regional activity expanding across Southeast Asia, including a satellite office in Macau.
“This show has been one of the most demanding we’ve done from a rigging perspective,” Dani said. “It’s a theatrical show placed inside an arena tour. That means adapting the set-up per venue — and in our case, coordinating across two major cities. But with URE as our partner, the rigging is the one thing I never have to worry about.”
