Theatre and Dance

Kellerman production image

The new production, Kellerman, looks at how meddling with the past can have tragic consequences. The show will premiere in Leeds before going on tour.

Simon explains: "Kellerman has live action on-stage with a video projection behind and in front. I am involved in the producing and editing of the video."

When watching the play the audience looks through two large holes in a screen to the stage and images are projected on both that screen and the back of the stage. The production has an ambitious two-storey set.

"The video projection is influenced by the graphic novel and its way of telling stories. We shot real action film but by using animation, effects and editing we have made it feel like a drawn world. It is live film but we add to it and then the video is heavily treated.

"Once the technician has pressed the 'Go' button on the video the play is in action! Technology can break down but thankfully that hasn't happened yet, there have been no glitches so far. Any problems have always been with the props and sets.

"I've always had an interest in using video in the theatre. I love playing with the idea of the space between the image and the presence of the actor.

"Such complicated video projection does mean you have to start work well in advance of the stage element. Lots of the video has to be ready in advance. We had the idea for Kellerman three years ago and we've been working on it for two years."

Kellerman production image

It is not so surprising that video is being incorporated into stage productions. Things have moved on apace. We are saturated with the moving image. The internet and video-sharing websites means every where you turn you can see video, even some advertising hoardings have used moving images.

"Technological developments have made this work easier. Even 10 years ago the work we have done on the production's video would probably have cost £500,000 and we would have had to hire a lot of equipment.

"Nowadays it can be done much more cheaply with a laptop and a couple of cameras."

Simon Wainwright is not the sort of person to be satisfied with just one strand to his career. Known on the local music scene as a member of (the late) Four Day Hombre he is still touring with a new group, Hope & Social, fitting in a UK tour, releasing an album in May and getting ready to play Glastonbury.

"I describe myself as an artist, musician, designer and performer depending on who is asking. I love my job and would find it impossible to say which part of the job I like best. I have to juggle my calendar and it involves a lot of travelling but I am never bored."

And touring a multi-media production keeps Simon occupied.

"When we tour Kellerman it all adds to the problems we have to solve. We need a lot of space to have the room to set up the back projection equipment, sometimes we even need to bounce the video projection off a mirror to get a big enough image. The first question we always have to ask is 'Is the venue big enough?'

"We are not the only company to use projection as part of a production, but I'm certain not many people use anything as intricate as our set up in Kellerman with video so central to the whole plot."

Kellerman is at West Yorkshire Playhouse, Wednesday 22 to Saturday 25 April 2009.