The British high-street is not the sort of place you would normally expect to encounter a unicorn, but that changed in 2010 when Ed Collier & Melanie Wilson transformed London’s King Street into a mysterious magical world. The Unicorn was an audio-based fairytale adventure designed for children between the ages of 7 and 10, and was commissioned by Theatre Sandbox in 2010.

Staged in both a theatrical playspace and the high street, The Unicorn used pervasive media to create a magical parallel world within the everyday surroundings of the city. Groups of children (and their adults) were given headphones, and were taken on an adventure where they followed an elusive unicorn. Adventurers were able to catch small glimpses of the ghostly phantasm through keyholes and cracks in the pavement, and the creature could only be heard by those that wanted to hear it.

Melanie Wilson is an award-winning theatre and sound artist who trained at Central School of Speech and Drama. Her solo performance work includes Iris Brunette (UK and International touring, winner of Best Production at Dublin Fringe Festival 2009), Mari Me Archie and The View From Here (audio piece for radio featured on Resonance FM). Melanie has collaborated filmmaker Tom Geens on the award-winning short film, Shame. She is also one half of experimental folk duo Lindsey Woolsey.

Ed is a theatre consultant and photographer and co-directs China Plate, a theatre company that specialises in identifying and supporting the needs of theatre makers. Prior to this, Ed was inaugural Centre Director at The Hurst, The John Osborne Arvon Centre, and has worked with Clod Ensemble, Gecko, Lyric Hammersmith, and Sound&Fury.

Related Links:
China Plate Theatre
Melanie Wilson

Posted on Thu 21 April 2011.

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