Bill Dudley - with whom XL Video has also worked on Hitchcock Blonde and The Coast of Utopia - decided to use video as a scenic and narrative vehicle to denote times, locations, ideas and thoughts. Video provides a simple, practical and highly effective solution to deliver a number of messages plus settings like waiting rooms, offices, platforms, railway tracks, etc.
The projection surface is one large upstage canvas screen, and the projectors are two NEC XT5000s, chosen for their 5000 ANSI Lumens output, compact size and weight. These are flown on custom scenic railway gantry set pieces, which neatly positions the hardware in the correct front projection positions. Material is stored on and played back from DVD, and audio operator Richard Llewellyn manually cues the video system. The Permanent Way is directed by Max Stafford-Clark, with a lighting design by Johanna Town and sound design by Paul Arditti.
Out-of-Joint's production (managed by Phil Cameron), kicked off its UK tour at the Theatre Royal, York, in November, and resumes touring after the National run is complete. The project was developed from an initial workshop at the National Theatre Studio, and the play is regularly updated with the latest news and info on the subject.
(Sarah Rushton-Read)
