when the play was produced for the london stage, it used four chariots, as opposed to two in the u.s. in 1902, "the era"s drama critic detailed how it was achieved with "four great cradles, in length and wide" that are moved "back and front on railways". the horses galloped full-pelt towards the audience, secured with steel cable traces as they ran on treadmills. the horses also drove the movement of a vast cyclorama backdrop that revolved in the opposite direction to create an illusion of rapid speed. electric rubber rollers spun the chariot wheels, while fans created clouds of dust. a critic for "the illustrated london news" described it as "a marvel of stage-illusion" that was "memorable beyond all else". "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".