In a remarkable world first, the complete theatrical works of Christopher Marlowe have been filmed in a collaboration between l6l21 and the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, the city in which Marlowe was born.
The films, which feature an extraordinary array of some of the UK’s finest performers, working in collaboration with a team of creative heavyweights, will receive their world premiere screenings between 16 and 24 August 2024 at the Marlowe Theatre.
Deborah Shaw, Chief Executive of the Marlowe Theatre, said: “The Marlowe Sessions project has been a journey of rediscovery, breathing new life into the works of Canterbury’s most famous son. This series is not just a tribute to Marlowe’s genius but a bold statement about the timeless relevance of his works. We are excited to showcase The Sessions, which are a testament to the collaborative spirit and artistic innovation that drives our theatre.”
Dominic West who stars as Doctor Faustus said: “It was a great pleasure to be part of this hugely ambitious staging of all of Marlowe’s plays and to have witnessed the performances of so many great actors, enhanced by this ground-breaking audio technology.”
This ground-breaking theatrical endeavour utilised cutting-edge technologies and recording methods to capture the essence and vibrancy of the live performances. The innovative approach to production focused on creating an immersive audio-visual experience, emblematic of the sonic footprint of the theatre in Elizabethan England.
Central to the project was the use of advanced immersive audio technologies. The performances were meticulously captured using an array of strategically placed microphones throughout the theatre. This setup allowed for a detailed and dynamic audio recording, ensuring that the nuanced sounds of the live performances, from the actors’ dialogue to the live music performed in real time on stage with authentic Elizabethan instruments, and the ambient noise of the audience were preserved with exceptional clarity.
High-definition cameras captured the action on stage in 2D and VR. The camera work was designed to be unobtrusive, in order to maintain the integrity of an intimate live theatre experience whilst at the same time capturing the kinetic energy of the exceptionally dynamic performances.
Ray Mia, Executive Producer at l6l21, commented, “The vision for The Marlowe Sessions was always to transcend the conventional boundaries of theatre and film. This series is a culmination of that dream – a fusion of remarkable talent, groundbreaking technology, and raw, unadulterated storytelling. We believe that The Sessions will not only entertain but also educate and inspire audiences globally about Marlowe’s incredible talent, this is not just about it being the first time in over 400 years this has been produced, this is about protecting Marlowe’s legacy for students of drama and English, and storytelling.”
Following the exclusive showings at the Marlowe Theatre, all seven plays will be released in various formats, led by stereo and Dolby Atmos versions of the audio dramas, to help a global audience experience the magic of Elizabethan theatre through a contemporary lens.
The 2D and VR film versions of The Marlowe Sessions will serve as a valuable educational resource. They are set to be made available to schools, universities, and educational institutions to provide students and educators alike with a unique tool to explore and appreciate the richness of Marlowe’s language and the depth of his works, in a single coherent series, for the first time.
The Marlowe Sessions was conceived and driven by l6l21 Executive Producer Ray Mia, working with Paul Morrissey, and Co-Producers Raf Santana and Deborah Shaw, the Chief Executive of the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury.
