Further Than The Furthest Thing

On a remote volcanic island in the middle of the Atlantic, a community has lived undisturbed for centuries, defying the swirling currents of modernity and capitalism. Cut off and exposed to the elements, their survival has created a complex bind with their land. But when one of the inhabitants brings an outsider to the island, their way of life is changed forever. Based on real events on the island of Tristan da Cunha, Jennifer Tang’s visionary interpretation of Zinnie Harris’s award-winning modern classic is a story of a community haunted by its past and under threat from a modern world in crisis.

“The island’s black sands are a glimmering projection by Ian William Galloway. It has strains of Thomas Hardy’s doom-filled landscapes but a breathtaking, watery beauty too.” - The Guardian

“Impressive volcanic tremors are created by Ian William Galloway’s video work, with help from George Dennis’s sound, while a live vocalist, Shapla Salique, provides an otherworldly spirit of place.” - The Arts Desk

To create the visual effects required by the text, we used a real-time animation system developed in Notch, generating ethereal waves, sand and lava effects from an audio feed captured from the singer’s microphone. This way, the body of the island would react, grow and move in rhythm with the music as it spread through the transitions and movement sequences. We supplied the Notch and Disguise playback systems, as well as providing all design, development and programming services.

Client:
Young Vic, Theatre

Location:
Young Vic, London, 2023

Services:
Video & Projection Design
Technical Consultancy
Content Creation
Equipment Hire

Team:
Video Designer: Ian William Galloway
Animator: Jachym Bouzek
Video Programmer: Nicholas Ward
Video Engineer: Caitlyn Russell

Production Credits:
Director: Jennifer Tang
Set and Costume Designer: Soutra Gilmour
Lighting Designer: Prema Mehta
Sound Designer: George Dennis

Photos:
© Marc Brennan