- Woman in White

For the London and New York Productions of Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s Woman In White (Author Willkie Collins, directed by Trevor Nunn), true “Digital Scenery” (Designer William Dudley, realised by Mesmer) was seen for the first time in a theatre.

No scenic backdrops, borders or legs were present, and only limited physical props were used on stage. Where so, these; in conjunction with Paul Pyant’s thoughtful lighting design, created a spectacular and natural blend between the cast and their projected surrounds.

To allow actors, (including West End and Broadway stars, Maria Friedman, Michael Crawford, and Simon Callow) to work all areas of the stage, and to effortlessly enter and exit through a variety of digital doorways (indoor scenes) and travel projected roads and paths (outside scenes) without casting shadows, the projection apparatus had to be positioned at extreme angles. Real time, high-resolution delivery with keystone correction and accompanying multiple seamless image blending was developed especially to do this.

Finally, it was essential that the presence of multiple high power projectors in a theatre didn’t distract the audience. XL Video (in conjunction with the National Theatre) designed partial enclosures (not requiring costly air-conditioning or extraction) that reduced ambient fan noise by 75%, being an acceptable level to the ears of the Lord Webber.