Editing Cyclorama (section)

==''Ben-Hur'' dramatisation ==
The main action centerpiece of the 1899 play ''[[Ben-Hur (play)|Ben-Hur]]'' was the use of a live chariot race using real horses and real chariots set against a cyclorama. ''[[The Era (newspaper)|The Era's]]'' drama critic detailed how it was achieved by "four great cradles, 20ft in length and 14ft wide, which are movable back and front on railways". The horses galloped full-pelt towards the audience, secured by invisible steel cable traces and running on treadmills. Electric rubber rollers spun the chariot wheels. A vast cyclorama backdrop revolved in the opposite direction to create an illusion of massive speed, and fans created clouds of dust. The critic for ''[[The Illustrated London News]]'' described it as "a marvel of stage-illusion" that was "memorable beyond all else". ''[[The Sketch|The Sketch's]]'' critic called it "thrilling and realistic ... enough to make the fortune of any play" and noted that "the stage, which has to bear 30 tons' weight of chariots and horses, besides huge crowds, has had to be expressly strengthened and shored up".<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2003/oct/08/theatre ''Guardian'' article: ''Ben-Hur, London, 1902''.  8 October 2003]. Accessed 2010-05-27</ref> It went on to inspire the multi-Oscar-winning [[Ben-Hur (1959 film)|1959 film adaptation of ''Ben Hur'']], starring [[Charlton Heston]] – featuring the key live chariot race.