Welsh National Opera has lent a hand to the preparations for the Michael Jackson Tribute Concert being held at the Wales Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, tomorrow night <Sat 8 Oct>. They have built the set, a gigantic hand inspired by the singer’s iconic white glove.

CTS, a wholly owned subsidiary of Welsh National Opera, built the hand over 24 hours. It is made up of wooden structures, individually slotted together to create the shape. Holes drilled into the boxes will contain the stage lighting – and suggest the crystals and diamonds that decorated the original glove.

It’s been a busy few months for CTS, who have worked on the concert staging, alongside realizing John Caird’s monumental designs for WNO’s new production of Don Giovanni. The props team had to make a series of sculptures drawing on French artist Rodin’s famous sculptures The Kiss and Adam and Eve, as well as his masterpiece The Gates of Hell. Next on the schedule is the set for a new touring production of the hit musical Oliver, which is being staged at Wales Millennium Centre over Christmas, and a new production of Puccini’s La bohème which will open in summer 2012