Theatre within a theatre, The Royal West of England Academy
I advised UWE lecturer Judith Aston, and filmmaker Michael Sides (Benchmark) as they created this installation for Bristol Old Vic theatre, displayed as part of RWA's exhibition Centre Stage. Michael filmed a vast amount of material at Bristol Old Vic, with the intention of exposing the mechanics of theatre, the backstage action and technical processes. James Gates (Rusty Squid) made a grand 3D model box of the theatre, the interior of which is only visible through peepholes designed to replicate the views from different seats within the auditorium. Inside were projections of the stage throughout the get-in, show, and get-out processes of various shows. On the walls around the model box were projections of archive and backstage material, everything running together with DMX controlled theatre lights to alternate between 'show' and 'backstage' phases. I oversaw the technical aspects and installation of the exhibition, and programmed the show using Qlab, a theatre cueing software, the running processes of which were displayed on a computer screen in the corner of the exhibition.
The Light Princess, Tobacco Factory Theatres
Working with Director John Nicholson (Peepolykus) on Thomas Eccleshare's new script, based on George Macdonald's 1864 fairytale, I created a series of projection pieces based on various themes of shadowplay. The images were integrated into the stage action, with characters entering and leaving the shadow sequences, and embedded into Phil Eddoll's beautiful and all-surrounding set, enlivened by David Ridley's sound design and often orchestrated to incredible acapella harmonies from composer Verity Standen.
"...the visual effects blend beguilingly homespun simplicity and theatrical ingenuity.." The Times Review
“Its messiness is all part of its joy…it unabashedly celebrates the amusing and the absurd…deliciously silly staging” The Guardian Review
"...the visual effects blend beguilingly homespun simplicity and theatrical ingenuity.." The Times Review
“Its messiness is all part of its joy…it unabashedly celebrates the amusing and the absurd…deliciously silly staging” The Guardian Review
Every day broken Dreams, hauser & Wirth Somerset
Every Day Broken Dreams was a one-off performance, the culmination of the 2015 Hauser & WIrth theatre summer school, in partnership with Bristol Old Vic Youth Theatre. I was the designer, and orchestrated sound and visual environments for 5 gallery spaces the audience would travel through during the performance. The cast were almost entirely first time performers, and the show was written and created by Miranda Cromwell and composer Alistair Debling, in response to the current exhibition by astounding US artist Jenny Holzer.
The STick House, LOCO Klub, Under Temple MEads Train Station, Bristol
I was commissioned by Raucous after creating their show trailer (below), to come aboard the creative team and create a series of projection pieces for the show, which ran in an incredible location deep in the subterranean world of the Bristol Temple Meads train station's disused tunnels. The space was vast, and I worked alongside projection mapping team Limbic Cinema, who created beautiful architectural projection sequences, while my elements were primarily based around scenes that involved actors and dialogue. The show was a tremendous success, and received excellent reviews from national press including The Guardian (4 stars). I also worked alongside Stage Manager Luke Peck to create a vast network in which to allow all parts of the show to be cued via a mobile device, no small challenge with the amount of technology we fit into an awkward and expansive space.
"Anna Ledwich’s production piles on atmosphere, and the mingling of performance with technology is brilliantly unobtrusive and effective. Cleverly conceived; distinctively different." The Guardian Review
In a country not so far away, in a time not far from our own, Marietta is about to turn 21. With a great howling from the forest and lilies left outside her house made of sticks, the beast marks his territory and waits to claim his prize. But now things are different. Now her love lies elsewhere. So there is no way she will go willingly.
The Stick House is a dark gothic fable fusing film, music, performance and creative digital technology spinning a tale of love found, betrayals made and hearts laid bare in an astonishing and captivating theatre journey deep in the tunnels beneath Bristol. A beautiful, compelling theatre adventure that will make you hold your breath…
The Stick House features an extraordinary theatrical mix, with projection mapping by Limbic Cinema (Glastonbury Festival), robotics by Kyle Harini (The Book Hive), puppetry by Elizabeth Johnson (The Book Hive), film by Jack Offord (Bristol Old Vic, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse) and an original score by Tim X Atack (Sleepdogs). Directed by Anna Ledwich (Hampstead Theatre, Gate Theatre), designed by Conor Murphy (Royal Opera House, Royal Swedish Opera, The Abbey Theatre) and with an extraordinary script by Sharon Clark (Bristol Old Vic, Theatre 503, NT Studio).
"Anna Ledwich’s production piles on atmosphere, and the mingling of performance with technology is brilliantly unobtrusive and effective. Cleverly conceived; distinctively different." The Guardian Review
In a country not so far away, in a time not far from our own, Marietta is about to turn 21. With a great howling from the forest and lilies left outside her house made of sticks, the beast marks his territory and waits to claim his prize. But now things are different. Now her love lies elsewhere. So there is no way she will go willingly.
The Stick House is a dark gothic fable fusing film, music, performance and creative digital technology spinning a tale of love found, betrayals made and hearts laid bare in an astonishing and captivating theatre journey deep in the tunnels beneath Bristol. A beautiful, compelling theatre adventure that will make you hold your breath…
The Stick House features an extraordinary theatrical mix, with projection mapping by Limbic Cinema (Glastonbury Festival), robotics by Kyle Harini (The Book Hive), puppetry by Elizabeth Johnson (The Book Hive), film by Jack Offord (Bristol Old Vic, Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse) and an original score by Tim X Atack (Sleepdogs). Directed by Anna Ledwich (Hampstead Theatre, Gate Theatre), designed by Conor Murphy (Royal Opera House, Royal Swedish Opera, The Abbey Theatre) and with an extraordinary script by Sharon Clark (Bristol Old Vic, Theatre 503, NT Studio).
Educating Rita at Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse
For the 35 year anniversary of writer Willy Russell's endlessly relevant and popular play, Gemma Bodinetz directed this production at the Liverpool Playhouse theatre. Educating Rita is a two person play, and staged in a single room throughout, so I projected sequences designed to show the passage of time, and to give designer Conor Murphy's stunning set a sense of the exterior world during the numerous scene changes throughout the play. Early in the play, Rita admires a painting, Cabanel's The Birth of Venus. I continuously referred back to this painting, as it contains many of the issues surrounding taste and style that the play digs into. It's simultaneously very trashy with its erotic content and over-stylised fantasy scene, but it also contains a great deal of beauty and has complex layers of intention hidden within it, such as the reclining Venus' barely opened eyes, looking back directly at the viewer.
The final two images in this gallery are by Stephen Vaughan.
Daggers and Waves EP Launch VJ Set at crofters rights, Bristol
for Bristol band Daggers and Waves' EP launch they organised a big night at Crofters Rights (formerly The Croft) on Stokes Croft. Aside several support bands and DJs, I performed a VJ set alongside projection artist Jon Street,. The night was themed Twisted Beach, and I mixed kaleidoscopic monochromatic waves with ephemeral archive footage from the 1950's of home movies from Florida and Miami beaches, with the now slightly uncomfortable 50's advertising styles of Chevrolet and the like. Photos from the event courtesy of Rhiannon Lawton.
The Sacconi Quartet at Bristol Proms 2014, Bristol Old Vic
A collaborative performance between University of the West of England (UWE) and Bristol Old Vic, The Sacconi Quartet performed Beethoven's Op. 132 in the intimate Studio theatre at Bristol Old Vic. The performers were filmed with locked off close up cameras and roaming operators, and then vision mixed live onto 4 portrait orientation screens around the studio. The project was directed by Judith Aston (Co-director of i-Docs), and sought to reveal moments of the performance which aren't usually visible, and to present a new visual experience, an edited version of the events infront of you. The project was well into development before I joined the crew, but together we navigated the technical elements of the staging and produced a visually impressive show. Follow this link for photographs: Classic FM web gallery
Associate Artist with Twisted Theatre
I'm very happy to have been made an associate artist with the terrific production company Twisted Theatre, based in Bristol. Check out their incredible portfolio here: www.twistedtheatre.com
Sita Calvert Ennal's The Magic Toyshop , Chapter Arts Centre
Adapted by Alan Harris from Angela Carter's dark and imaginative novel, the UK premiere opened at Chapter Arts Centre in Cardiff in May 2014. Myself and Sita crafted a paper cut out style for the projection design which was used to highlight some of the more fantastical moments in the play. The Magic Toyshop is a co-production with Theatr Iolo and Invisible Ink.
Miranda Cromwell's Talon, Bristol Old Vic Studio
Inspiration for the visual style of Talon sprung from German Expressionist film, and its echoes in 1950's American cinema. From there I created several motifs to accompany various characters, leading to a projection coup in the final scene as all the strands of the story collide. I used a multi-projector setup using QLab 3's new surface blending tools to create a seamless projection surface across the back and floor of the stage, accompanied by a little bit of projection mapping at select points throughout the play.
Miranda Cromwell's Pigeon English, Bristol Old Vic main house and Udderbelly, Edinburgh fringe
For Miranda Cromwell's adaptation of the best selling book Pigeon English by Stephen Kelman, I created a series of large scale projection pieces, mapped onto designer Liesel Corp's brutal steel framed set. The projection existed in a visual narrative somewhere between the real world of London's run down estates and the colourful imaginary world of the protagonist, young Ghanian boy Harri, infused along the way with cinematic and live action sequences. The play toured to the Edinburgh Fringe in summer 2013, where it received great critical praise and sold out for the entirety of its run.
Tom Morris' Messiah at Bristol Proms 2013, Bristol old vic
I was commissioned to create visuals to be projected onto a painted screen during renowned director Tom Morris' semi-staged production of Handel's famous opera, Messiah. The production ran for one night to a full house 600 people strong, on the final night of Bristol Proms at Bristol Old Vic theatre. These images are the raw video that was projected onto the character of Jesus, played by Tristan Sturrock:
Jewellers - ThirtySix Music Video
I used projection mapping extensively in this music video for the electronica duo Jewellers in this official video for the track ThirtySix.
360 Degree Projection Experiment with ICCI
While I was studying at the University of Plymouth, the specialists at ICCI were beginning their endeavours into 360 degree projection, and I was lucky enough to be able to create and test a projection experiment during a week long testing period wherein a temporary dome was built on the university campus. I used interlinking screens displaying footage from Burrator Resevoir in Dartmoor. The idea was the constant line between the water and land would be the continuation point between the screens. Each video was taken at a different time of day, to try and converge time into one all surrounding spectacle.
