First Publicity Images Released and VR Experience Announced for On Bear Ridge by Ed Thomas

The first publicity images from National Theatre Wales and Royal Court Theatre’s production of On Bear Ridge have been released today. They can be downloaded here.

It has also been announced that a site-specific installation will be created in the upper Swansea Valley that will bring to life the world of the play. Audiences at the Sherman Theatre Cardiff and the Royal Court Theatre will also be able to experience this installation through a VR film that will be available to watch at both theatres, making the landscape of On Bear Ridge accessible in the centre of these busy cities.

Written by Ed Thomas, On Bear Ridge is a semi-autobiographical story about the places we leave behind, the indelible marks they make on us, and the unreliable memories we hold onto.  It will be co-directed by Royal Court Artistic Director Vicky Featherstone and Ed Thomas. The cast is Rakie Ayola, Jason Hughes, Rhys Ifans and Sion Daniel Young. For more information visit the show page.

The site-specific installations will be constructed on Penwyllt in the upper Swansea Valley, close to Thomas’ childhood home, and will coincide with the opening of the play in Cardiff.  They can be experienced in person by visiting the site in Wales or through a VR experience created in collaboration with Film and VR production company Cuckoo Nest.

These installations will be free to experience to anyone visiting Penwyllt between 30 August and 13 October 2019.  The site will be closed from 9-11 September for filming purposes.

The installations are outdoors on an unmanned site and will take approximately 30 minutes to explore. Each installation is accompanied by a short multimedia track, which audiences can access via a QR code. More information on how to explore the site, and access the tracks, can be found at nationaltheatrewales.org.

Installation Address: Ogof Ffynnon Ddu, National Nature Reserve, 1-10 Powell St, Swansea, SA9 1GQ.

Audiences attending On Bear Ridge in Cardiff can experience the VR from 3 – 5 October 2019 at Sherman Theatre.

Audiences attending On Bear Ridge in London can experience the VR for the duration of the run (24 October – 23 November 2019) at the Royal Court Theatre.

For the full press release read here.