NEWS: The Barn Theatre and Relative Motion release virtual reality version of Marlowe's Edward II

RELATIVE MOTION AND THE BARN THEATRE RELEASE A VIRTUAL REALITY PRODUCTION OF CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE’S EDWARD II

• THE BARN THEATRE AND RELATIVE MOTION HAVE CRAFTED AN EIGHT-MINUTE VIRTUAL REALITY EXPERIENCE OF CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE’S ICONIC, 425-YEAR-OLD LGBTQ+ DRAMA, EDWARD II.

• THIS NARRATIVE VR EXPERIENCE IS BUILT FOR A SINGLE AUDIENCE MEMBER WHO SITS AT THE VERY CENTRE OF THE STORY.

• THE PRODUCTION STARS NATHAN IVES-MOIBA, RICHARD PRYAL AND GEORGIA SILVER

• WATCH EDWARD II VR HERE 

Virtual reality storytelling studio Relative Motion, in association with the Barn Theatre in Cirencester, have today released an eight-minute virtual reality experience of Scene 4 from Christopher Marlowe’s historic LGBTQ+ drama Edward II.

The eight-minute production reimagines this historic and iconic gay love story for a 21^st century audience.  Edward II VR is crafted for a Single-Audience-Member (SAM) who sits at the very centre of the story experience.

Available today to access free online (YouTube, Facebook), EDWARD II VR brings passion, intense drama, compelling performances and a stirring new score into the audience member’s phone/tablet and/or VR headset.

Edward II cemented Marlowe’s position as both a maverick playwright and a challenger of the status quo. By ‘staging the story’ around SAM, this new production highlights the parallels between homophobia, corruption and greed at the heart of power in Marlowe’s era and the intolerance and bias in the world today. Using the empathetic power of VR, Relative Motion and The Barn Theatre want to remind audiences that, up-close, we are all the same.

Edward II VR stars Nathan Ives-Moiba as Edward, Richard Pryal as Gaveston and Georgia Silver as Isabella and features an original score by Tom Adams. The production was captured on the stage at the Barn Theatre.

This production marks the first collaboration between Relative Motion and the Barn Theatre.  Both companies have been acknowledged for their focus on technical innovation to support the creative process and audience experience as well as producing work for the “virtual stage”, particularly during lockdown.

Since its establishment in 2018, Relative Motion has been exploring the best ways to create work for virtual performance spaces – with actors, narratives, and an ‘audience-of-one’ - to craft exceptional story experiences. 

The Barn Theatre have been commended for their creation and production of online digital theatrical productions including their re-imagined Shakespeare in lockdown series with Aaron Sidwell, Bard From The Barn, and their virtual concert series The Barn Presents:

Edward II VR, produced by Relative Motion in association with the Barn Theatre, features creative direction by Christopher Lane, technical direction by Andy Purves, production direction by Chloe Miller Smith, casting by Harry Blumenau and technical support from the Barn Theatre’s technical team: Chris Cleal, Benjamin Collins and Sami Wood.

QUOTE

‘Edward II VR has given us the unique opportunity to combine forces with the Barn Theatre to truly fuse theatre and virtual reality.  In doing this we have created a unique, intimate, visceral piece drama – one with themes that, sadly, are still echoing through our world today. 

This collaboration also shows that, as theatre makers, we are in a unique position to harness our theatrical spaces and VR technology to create immersive and intimate audience experiences in the wake of Covid-19.’

Christopher Lane, creative director of Relative Motion.

The production was generously supported by Arts Council England, Wired Sussex and Digital Catapult.

Cast 

Isabella - Georgia Silver

Edward - Nathan Ives Moiba

Gaveston - Richard Pryal

Creative Team

Music by Tom Adams

Produced by Relative Motion

Co-Produced by Jamie Chapman Dixon for The Barn Theatre

Creative Director - Christopher Lane

Technical Director - Andy Purves

Production Director - Chloe Miller Smith

Casting Director - Harry Blumenau

Digital Asset Design - Andrew Madden

Sonic Branding - Joe Louis Robinson

The Barn Technical Team - Chris Cleal, Ben Collins, Sami Wood

Supported by Arts Council England, Wired Sussex and Digital Catapult.