DotDotDot Theatre Company created a large-scale immersive theatre production occupying an entire building in East London. Based on Jeff Wayne’s iconic musical adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds, the experience invited audiences to step inside a fully realised world under extra-terrestrial invasion — delivering a visceral, story-led encounter that blurred the boundaries between theatre, installation, and themed environment.
I was commissioned as Creative Director, responsible for the concept development, creative direction, and delivery of immersive visual environments across key zones of the experience. My focus was on shaping narrative-led multimedia interventions that animated space, deepened atmosphere, and sustained immersion across transitional moments within the audience journey.
Immersive Visual Worlds & Narrative Media
In the welcome bar, I led the design and execution of a bespoke projection-mapped visual installation, bringing framed artworks to life through subtle animation. These works were original artworks commissioned decades earlier for Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds musical album. The intention was to gently transition audiences from the everyday world into the story universe, establishing tone, mood, and narrative expectation from the moment of arrival.
Midway through the experience, DotDotDot introduced an intermission bar conceived as an immersive environment inspired by the Red Weed — a key visual motif from the story. As Creative Director, I shaped the artistic vision for transforming the bar into a living, evolving surface that extended the narrative rather than interrupting it.
We designed and produced projection-mapped moving image content structured around three distinct narrative states drawn from the story world. These states transitioned seamlessly every five minutes, creating an ever-shifting environment that rewarded lingering and reinforced the sense of inhabiting a dynamic, evolving sci-fi landscape.
Role & Contribution
- Artistic direction of immersive media environments
- Leadership of 2D/3D animation for large-scale projection mapping
- Integration of moving image and scenographic media within live immersive theatre
Recognition
The immersive experience has received significant international recognition, including:
- Guinness World Record – Longest theatrical run of a musical immersive theatre production
- 26th Annual THEA Award Winner – Connected Immersion category
