line rocket

Line Rocket

Line rockets are funky little pyrotechnic effects that are used in theater and other live performances.

How they work

A line rocket is pretty much a small firework rocket on a string. Okay, not on a string, but on a steel wire.

The steel wire is stretched across the room, and the rocket has a little steel loop affixed to it, so it can fly along the wire.

Why they are funky

Okay - here is how I used them in A Midsummer Night's Dream (also see Motion Detonator for more effecs from the same performance):

Imagine: you are sitting very still... Some violin music is warning you that something is going to happen. Then, all of a sudden, four rockets fly about three feet over your head, and a giant explosion happens on stage..

The rockets part, that's what line rockets are all about. You can, with 100% certainity tell where the rockets are going (they are on a wire, remember). The wire can be quite thin and almost invisible. There are two types of line rockets - one just flies very fast, and one also makes a loud whistling sound. Both types don't drip, so you can fly them just over (or next to...) the audience, scaring the wits out of people. A cheap trick, yes, but everything to make a show that gives a lasting impression, right?