I have been helping Ellan Parry, a finalist of the Linbury Prize, with her exhibition entry at the National Theatre. She was asked to submit a design for a new Opera, produced by The Opera Group entitled ‘Babur in London’.
Much fun was had with clip lights and my mini Samsung projector. Here is what it looked like in the end:
The exhibition runs at the National Theatre during November.
David Leveaux’s production, transferred from Glasgow Citizens, offers a video montage of hectic paintings and grainy black-and-white imagery, evoking the art of both Kirchherr and Sutcliffe and lending the action a restless dynamism.
There’s a pale intensity to willowy Gedmintas’ performance as Kirchherr. She’s helped by the sophisticated use of video projection to show her passion for both photography and Sutcliffe. A lesser production would have overdosed on her now famous stills. But here, black-and-white video footage is used to establish a tone that is completely in keeping with Christopher Oram’s stark, impressively fluid design.
Projection design specialists Knifedge have unveiled their latest theatrical collaboration in Backbeat – the stage adaptation of Iain Softley’s cult 1994 British film about the birth of The Beatles – which has just made its West End debut.
Set in the early 1960s, Backbeat tells the story of the fifth Beatle and original bassist, Stuart Sutcliffe. As the band made its name in the backstreet clubs of Hamburg, artist Sutcliffe fell madly in love with German photographer Astrid Kirchherr. Sutcliffe’s struggle in choosing between his best friend John Lennon and the band, or the woman of his dreams and his art, is the focus of Backbeat. All time Beatles rock ‘n’ roll classics from the era are performed live on stage throughout the production.
Knifedge’s projections – co-designed by Timothy Bird and Nina Dunn – play both a narrative and emotional role in the production. They bring the work of the two main visual artists to life – Sutcliffe’s paintings and Kirchherr’s photographs. The Knifedge team, which also included Lucy Ockenden, Sam Hunt, Aaron Trinder and Vron Harris, worked in close collaboration with the rest of Karl Sydow’s creative team. The show has been substantially reworked for the stage by director David Leveaux.
“The Beatles’ time in Hamburg provided a catalyst for all the protagonists and their art: Stuart as a painter, Astrid as a photographer and the Beatles as a band,” say Nina Dunn of the Knifedge team. “Our projections aim to represent the emotional importance of visual art to the story, and interweave the idea of how Kirchherr, Sutcliffe, their photographs and paintings contribute to the development of the most iconic band of the 20th Century.”
From a technical standpoint, the need to project onto multiple surfaces has called for a sophisticated rig. Knifedge is using four front-of-house projectors that are cross-focused to reduce actor shadow and internal set shadow, as well as an on-stage projector. These are driven by two main Catalyst media servers, with two back ups. Video is triggered via the lighting desk.
Backbeat runs at the Duke of York Theatre, London from 10th October 2011. Co-written by Iain Softley and Stephen Jeffreys, the production is directed by David Leveaux and produced by Karl Sydow, with musical direction by Paul Stacey. Andrew Edwards and Christopher Oram provided the set and costume design, with lighting design by Howard Harrison and David Holmes. Sound design is by Ed Clarke and Paul Groothius.
Financial Times ★★★★★
Time Out ★★★★ Metro ★★★★ Evening Standard ★★★★ Whats On Stage ★★★★
White Nights Festival, St Petersburg – an appropriate occasion for a premiere of the Mariinsky’s new production of Benjamin Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”.
Claudia Solti directed the opera, which was conduceted by Valery Gergiev.
Isabella Bywater’s inventive design – a construction of plastic and mirrored surfaces – proved an interesting challenge for myself (projection design) and Jen Schriever (lighting design) and further challenges were met by the team of aerial acrobats who were flown from the ceiling of the venue but the collaboration of all elements resulted in a very unique look, highly appropriate to the Opera’s fairytale subject matter.
Henrik Ibsen’s Emperor and Galilean opened to the press and public last night at the National Theatre (Olivier).
It has been a profound experience being involved in such a monumental work. An undeniably epic and a very brave and well achieved production by Ben Power, the National Theatre, Jonathan Kent and his cast and creative team. I can’t think of another team that would be equal to it.
It is [...] breathtakingly staged. Paul Brown’s design makes brilliant use of the Olivier’s drum-revolve to whisk us from Ephesian cellars to Gallic plains and Persian deserts. Modern costumes and film of aerial bombardment underscore the topicality of a play that deals both with Middle Eastern conflict and the struggle to achieve a world beyond faith.
These great events and rigorous journeys are played out on a monumental set that thrillingly exploits the Olivier’s mechanics, back projections and costumes mixing the fourth century with the twenty-first to draw uneasy parallels. Not an easy evening, but rewarding one.
Paul Brown’s design [makes] copious use of the drum revolve and screen projections, Jonathan Dove’s music and a cast of more than 50 show what can be done on the Olivier stage.
Jonathan Kent’s production is a feast for the eyes. The rich, operatic staging is brought to colossal life by Paul Brown’s design that sees the Olivier’s revolve stage put to full use. Everything from the Persian desert to Athens, gruesome, bloody sacrificial temples and modest churches are created with the help of Knifedge’s video projections and Mark Henderson’s atmospheric lighting.
[...]there are some spectacular computer-generated graphics, which deliberately subvert time with anachronisms such as tanks and helicopters. The whole looks lavish and is consistently engrossing.
On 15 April at Moscow’s Gostiny Dvor hosted Russia’s Golden Mask theatre prize awards ceremony. The Mariinsky Theatre has become a record holder in terms of musical theatres having won four Masks.
The “Best Opera Production” was Jonathan Kent’s production of Richard Strauss’ Die Frau ohne Schatten. For the same production, Paul Brown won a Mask in the category “Best Work by a Designer in Musical Theatre.” In its review of this production, the newspaper Kultura wrote of the “aesthetic revolution in opera”, calling the production “a thrilling spectacle.” In turn, the newspaper Kommersant commented that Die Frau ohne Schatten has allowed us to learn a new side to Valery Gergiev – “the Mariinsky’s demiurge has developed into a tender and soft lyricist.”
Cleopatra, the new Ballet by David Nixon and Claude-Michel Schoenberg, opened to a delighted audience at the Leeds Grand Theatre on Saturday.
Here’s what The Times had to say about the design elements:
“The stage picture [...] is a triumph. Christopher Giles’s white walls and central staircase are wonderfully elegant in their own right, while Nina Dunn’s video projections seamlessly evoke the sense of place with a brilliantly delicate touch. Tim Mitchell’s lighting is gorgeous and sun-baked; Nixon’s costumes are lightweight, colour-coded and very handsome.”
Having just opened Cleopatra, it’s onwards and upwards with preparations for ‘Emperor and Galilean’ to open at the National Theatre in June and ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ for the Mariinsky in July.
Golden Mask nominations and DVD release for the Mariinsky production of Strauss’ Opera “Die Frau Ohne Schatten”
Nina has returned from Russia, where the Mariinsky Theatre was shooting a DVD of the opera “Die Frau Ohne Schatten” for which she design projections last year. It has just been announced that the Opera has also been nominated for a number of Golden Mask Awards this season. Read more here.
St John’s Bible Celebration – St Martin in the Fields
Nina has provided ‘illuminations’ for an evening to celebrate the arrival of the first illuminated Bible created in 500 years at St Martin in the Fields. She brought to life seven of the key images created by Donald Jackson that appear in the Bible, using the architecture of the church and the east window as a canvas.
Armstrong & Miller – Mick Perrin
Nina has designed video & projections for Armstrong & Miller’s upcoming tour, working with Knifedge to create the content.
Anthony & Cleopatra - NBT
Nina is talking to the team at the NBT with a view to creating projections for their new ballet telling the story of Anthony & Cleopatra.
Visual Design & Projection Content Production by Knifedge: The Creative Network
Projection Design – Nina Dunn for Knifedge
Set design – Ellan Parry for Knifedge.
The tour opened successfully on 16th April at Brighton’s Theatre Royal with a great audience and happy teams all round. To see the highlights video, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Following the press night in Bromley, the show has received three stars from both the Guardian and the Times. Of course, the show’s not about the video and set, but here’s what the Times had to say:
“The costume changes are commendably snappy, covered up by an inventive series of video inserts on the giant TV screen buried upstage.”
“On tour, Brand uses video inserts projected on a dinky mock-up of a TV set to entertain the audience while she is offstage, a device that’s used to enterprising comedic effect.”
“The set is a big cartoon television [...] which holds a screen within it for projections. This clever technology allows Katy to talk to the screen and interact with it. Knifedge Creative Network’s Nina Dunn has designed and directed the production of content – everything from the opening titles through to filming Katy’s characters against green screen for Katy to interact with live on stage. A high point has Katy’s Lily Allen on stage talking to three other Lily Allens on screen. It’s a very ambitious show in terms of costume changes – such as from Lady Gaga to the Queen in less than 30 seconds – but these are managed flawlessly with film sequences maintaining the interest level during the changes.”
“[...] the characters which got the greatest laughs – had the audience near enough rolling in the aisles, in fact – were her own inventions. The stoned nun who couldn’t keep a straight face, in an astonishingly clever move, taps into that hideous human instinct which forces laughter when you least should. Yet more amusing is Captain Rosie Fielding, the viciously feminist, butch soldier recruiting women to her blokeish, peeing-standing-up ways, who culminates her speech with a ludicrous rendition of Beyonce’s ‘Single Ladies’.
It is likely that these two hugely subversive, outrageous and crude characters were the reason Mr and Mrs Bailhalfwaythrough didn’t return. What they missed was Brand herself and her own intelligence and wit shining through. Yes, what I had seen of Ms Brand on TV was correct. Her characters are every bit as raw, cringeworthy and downright detestable as I expected. But as the show wore on I caught a glimpse of an incredibly versatile and imaginative comedian who is unafraid to push boundaries.
To give her time to switch costumes and characters, Katy stitches together her skits with films of her characters on a giant TV screen. Some of these videos are so convincing and cleverly woven into the show that you could believe that her Lilly Allen actually does go through a door on the stage and into the screen, or that a pre-recorded anchorwoman is responding live to Brand’s news reporter ad-libbing with the audience.
At the end of the day I can only admire a woman who can endure as much time with characters this hideous as she must have done to craft this smart piece of theatre.”
Projected worlds at the Russian Premiere of Richard Strauss’
“Die Frau Ohne Schatten”.
Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg
Jonathan Kent – Director:
“[...]how really thrilling and evocative the projections were. [...]you gave us a really rich, dream-like, complex
visual narrative.”
Nina co-designed projections for the Opera “Die Frau Ohne Schatten”, that opened at the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg in November 2009. This challenging opera in three acts is rarely performed since not only are there five major lead roles, which few opera companies can find within their resources, but also the libretto specifies numerous special effects that are very hard to realise successfully on stage.
Nina’s approach to video in Theatre as an integrated part of the spectacle was very much in line with the Director and Designer’s desire for the opera, who had planned to include projection from an early stage. The result was a show with not just special effects at key moments but an interwoven visual language that supported all the other elements of the opera throughout – musical and narrative.
The piece requires a demarcation of two contrast-ing worlds – fantasy and reality. Video elements within the scenes and ‘journey’ sequences between the worlds illustrate this. While the real world’s imagery remains more literal, that of the fantasy world is highly stylised; it is a place where set pieces can come alive and the air stirs with magic.
The two worlds also represent positive and negative spaces that eventually crossed over, highlighted in a play-off of negative and positive silhouettes, which also bring to light the theme of the shadow as an entity. Water and dye are also key elements in the opera and many of the sequences were inspired by the movement and nature of fluid, using footage shot especially for the show.
The projection rig consisted of 4 Barco DML 1200 moving head projectors and one Christie 20K projector.
In April 2011, the Opera was awarded two Golden Mask Awards: one for ‘Best Opera Production’ and one for Paul Brown as ‘Best Opera Production Designer’
The exhibition runs at the National Theatre during November.
