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A person with their arms in the air standing in front of a large screen with complex shadow puppets on it
A person with their arms in the air standing in front of a large screen with complex shadow puppets on it

Shadowplay

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An enchanting story told entirely through the magic of shadow and silhouette.

A captivating piece that blends installation with performance, Shadowplay is a Walk the Plank classic – a charming crowd-pleaser suitable for audiences of all ages.

In a world saturated with the immediacy of digital content, Shadowplay stands apart from the crowd. This captivating work projects the journey of silhouetted characters on to a circular screen in a 30-minute loop, drawing in audiences with nothing more than the powerful simplicity of light and shadow.

Shadowplay can be performed for a duration of 2-4 hours.

Inspired by European folklore, German expressionism and Gothic Victorian psychedelia, this universally popular piece works well as part of a larger Fire Garden – but can also stand alone as a set piece in its own right.

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We've brought Shadowplay to a wide variety of events and occasions – including the Illuminating York festival in 2013 and the Just So Festival in 2014, where a performer dancing scenes from the story added an exciting interactive dimension to the piece.

Shadowplay can be installed in a day, on hard-standing surfaces or on grass. It measures a compact 4m wide and 3.5m high, and requires power, cabling, cable track on-site and site lighting. The nature of the piece means that it's at its best at or after dusk, and can run on a loop for anything from one to 2.5 hours. The show itself lasts around 30 minutes, but audiences can enter or leave at any time.

‘With no beginning and no end, the story is as circular as life itself.’

A woman in a black dress and mask standing in a spotlight on grass in front of a blue light with shadow puppets on it

Just So Festival 2014, Chris Payne

"Saw this back in 2013 at the Just So Festival. Never seen anything like it, it's my favourite installation ever. It's mesmerising. My daughter based her GCSE art project on it."

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