theatre

International Opera Awards 2015

Hosted at the Savoy Theatre in London, the 2015 International Opera Awards commissioned me to produce all video content for the event. This included an opening sequence to set the tone for the evening ahead.

A high speed journey through various operas, it was a hugely enjoyable project to research. On the evening the beginning section interacted with the surrounding set (designed by Tim Bird) but that sadly isn’t captured here.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest

Paul Taylor-Mills whom I’d worked previously with on Honk! approached me to supply some more theatre projection for his production of One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest. Although I had already done a production at the Brideswell Theatre previously I was keen to work with Paul again so set about creating a new approach for this version. The play contains several dream sequence monologues for the chief, which I was to provide animated visuals for.

Re-reading the book I decided to go for a shadow puppet aesthetic which links to Kesey’s original imagery and allowed us to play a game with the blind on the nurses’ station, especially by incorporating the window panes into the shadows. The critical response was genuinely overwhelming.

This show is full of intelligent touches, including Tom Munday’s projection used to great effect when Dwayne Washington’s Chief Bromden tells his story. The London Magazine

Tom Munday’s animations are ingenious, beautiful and alternately delightful and unsettling. They operate as chapters, providing an alternative world to the grinding realism of the main action. Chief Bromden, the mute Native American, is given a voice in these sections as narrator and philosopher. He speaks beautifully and the overall effect is expertly augmented by the fantastical images of birds flying, the sun, moon and stars locked in a never-ending rotation. One Stop Arts

The highlight of the show is the use of animation. Designed by Tom Munday, these serene, simplistic images are projected onto a screen on the set and add a depth and delicacy to Chief’s memories. They add a mark of originality on production, which differentiates itself from the film or novel. Paul Taylor-Mills’s direction shows his ability to fully exploit the space and maximise the talent of the actors. Broadyway Baby

David Shields’ set is a grimly functional rendering of mental hospital recreation room, the subtle and pretty addition of origami birds clustered around the upper window a neat touch. Special mention to the beautiful projections, designed by Tom Munday, which punctuate the action and bridge the scene changes alongside soliloquies from the ward’s longest serving inmate. Gay Times

Effective too is Dwayne Washington, who as native American Chief Bromden delivers a series of monologues that pepper the play. While his dialogue all too often has to compete with some overloud music, they are accompanied by frankly beautiful shadow puppetry visuals by Tom Munday which are the visual highlight of the evening. Scott Matthewman

Tom Munday’s projections on the nurses’ blind are a beautiful visual narration alongside the monologue of the characters and capture our imagination with rustic shadow puppetry, before we are rudely awakened from our dream-like state by the institution’s harsh, clinical strip lights. A Younger Theatre

Honk!

Paul Taylor-Mills approached me to design a fully projected interactive set for his Edinburgh festival musical Honk!  This was before I was aware of the many and varied ways of media servers and projection technology that would be the natural and best way of running the show.  So I built my own Flash-based interactive system to programme and control the show.

Playing to packed houses at the George Square Theatre it was a veritable Edinburgh success

Images to come

Famished The Musical

I provided some projected set and the animated grand finale in the world’s finest Victorian zombie comedy musical.  Written by Alex Genn-Bash with music by Jake Morley, it proved a runaway hit at the Edinburgh Festival in 2007, nominated for two fringe awards including best new musical.

Later adapted AROUND THE WORLD! (Well, Canada)

Riotous… could easily be expanded into a full-length West End spectacular, the likes of which hasn’t been seen since The Rocky Horror Show.
British Theatre Guide – 5 Stars

Some of funniest scenes seen on the Fringe in a decade
Broadway Baby – 5 Stars