Digital scenography: Salonica

Salonica was a multi-lingual devised visual and physical theatre production. It was devised by the company who consisted of Dr Laura Haughey (director); Bill Hopkinson (wordsmith); Shaun Fahey (performer); and Mihailo Ladevac (performer), with live music performed by Andy Duggan.

 

This award-winning and ground-breaking piece of original theatre used several cultures and languages simultaneously to share a story of friendship, and communication against the odds during the First World War, using a specially developed visual vernacular form consisting of New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL), Serbian and English, and physical theatre and mime. Scenographic projections of animated WWI photography and kinetic typography, both created by Newall, titled scenes to convey time and location markers through the letters and diaries of characters.

Salonica toured in the UK, Serbia (National Theatre of Serbia, Belgrade) & Montenegro, and extensively in New Zealand. Design imperatives included: how can digital scenography support performance storytelling without upstaging the actors? How can digital scenography bring a unified design aesthetic to a touring piece without set or props and which primarily utilises mime?