“The remaining emptiness of the museum hall when you take your glasses off is remarkable. We have been looking at ghosts.” Volkskrant
“It is impossible to look away from the shimmering figures that emerge in what appears at first to be an empty room. And that is the point.” The Guardian
Photo©EllieKurttz; Digital Composition: Will Young
“Hi-tech meets humanity in this devastatingly powerful look at the impact of Austerity.” The Stage
Installation Lighting Designer Rob Pell-Walpole
Associate Physical Installation Designer Luke Smith
Volumetric Capture Dimension Studio
In 2016, the UN found that "grave or systemic violations" of the rights of disabled people were taking place throughout the UK. Museum of Austerity is a mixed reality holographic exhibition, exposing what happens when state safety nets fail.
Museum of Austerity was nominated for Best Digital Innovation at the UK Theatre Awards, previewed at the London Film Festival in 2021 and won International Documentary Festival Amsterdam's (IDFA) Best Immersive Production in 2021.
TOUR DATES
BFI London Film Festival 6 - 17 October 2021
International Documentary Festival Amsterdam 17 - 28 November 2021
HOME Manchester 8 - 11 November 2023
Live Theatre, Newcastle 17 - 21 April 2024
Bristol Old Vic 12 - 15 June 2024
Chatham Dockyards, Kent 26 - 29 June 2024
Kampnagel Theatre, Hamburg 26 - 28 September 2024
Young Vic 5 Dec 2025 - 16 Jan 2026
2025
More to follow …
INTERVIEWEES
Dave Smith, brother of James Oliver
Mo Ahmed, brother of Sophie (Faiza) Ahmed
Peter Carré, father of Stephen Carré
Jill Gant, mother of Mark Wood
Imogen Day, sister of Philippa Day
Helen Marston Hullah, sister of Diane Hullah
Nichole Drury, daughter of Moira Drury
Alison Turner, daughter-in-law of Errol Graham
Gill Thompson, sister of David Clapson
CAST
Shango Baku
Jenny Bolt
Gerard McDermott
Katie Mastell
S.J. O'Kane
Lindy Pieri
Elliot Pritchard
Naima Swaleh
PRODUCTION TEAM
Director & Co-Editor Sacha Wares
Specialist Advisor & Co-Editor John Pring
Mixed Reality Installation All Seeing Eye
Composer Adrian Lee
Costume & Physical Installation Designer Miriam Buether
Sound Designer Gareth Fry
In Headset Hologram Lighting Designer Prema Mehta
Movement Director and Technical Staging
Leon Baugh
Assistant Director Hana Pascal Keegan
Casting Director Amy Ball
Costume Supervisors Shannon Martin, Kinnetia Isidore
Stage Manager Shannon Martin, Shane Thom, Alice Wood
Scenic Construction Bakehouse
Production Management The Production Family
Dog Handler Robert Stuhldreer
PRODUCERS
Trial & Error
Executive Producer Sacha Wares
ETT
Executive Producer Sophie Scull
Producers Lauren Hamilton, Ellen Larson, Isadora Dooley Hunter, Maya Wilson, Peter Holland, Andrew Hughes, Meg Fozzard
NT Immersive Storytelling Studio
Executive Producer Toby Coffey
Producer Benjamin Smith
Executive Project Producer Kevin Fitzmaurice
HOSTS
Benjamin Smith, Stephen Allen, Theo Hung
WELLBEING AND ACCESS
Family Liaison Megan Cronin (original production)
Artist Wellbeing Practitioner Lou Platt
BSL/ISL Introduction Adam McCormick
Captions Vicky Berry and Jenny Skene
Audio Description VocalEyes
Audio clips broadcast by Parliament TV, from the Proceedings of the UK Parliament on 22nd June 2010; 28th June 2010;2nd December 2014; 27th October 2015; 3rd February 2016; 5th February 2020; 30th September 2020
Incidental guitar music and paintings, by Mark Wood, included in Mark Wood’s narrative, by arrangement with Jill Gant.
Helen Marston Hullah interview by Norma Thomas.
Access Consultancy Rachel Bagshaw, David Bellwood, Daisy Hale, Deepa Shastri, Richard Tilling, Rai Waddingham, Dr. Jay Watts
Additional content credits:
See the Museum of Austerity VISITOR GUIDE for information about what to expect including access options
