Designing epic stories
on unique canvases
The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo brought KDS on board for the 2022 relaunch.
The brief was to re-connect global audiences with the Tattoo after a covid-enforced absence. A relaunch in 2022 kicked off a contemporary direction and a 3-year programme of shows, the first themed ‘Voices’. The live event runs throughout August and is broadcast in the UK and Ireland.
Edinburgh Castle itself is not a straightforward canvas; it came with uneven surfaces, curved ramparts, irregular architecture, and height-defying coliseum-style seating restricting audience viewing angles. KDS approached the challenging canvas in many different ways, changing the castle’s physics for each sequence and dramatically altering its look to give each performance a unique style and energy.
KDS created a sense of visual depth by employing a digital set design for the colourful Los Muerto dos Dias, crafted an emotional finale using graceful animated photography and collage. A highlight for audiences was seeing the castle disappear behind 3D cubes cloaked in dazzle ship black and white patterns for the exhilarating Techno Pipe performance.
Crowds and stakeholders alike loved the visual impact of the projections and, in particular, how the visuals interweaved tradition with modernity and constantly engaged audiences.
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“Kate and her talented team of artists fully embraced our new show Voices and became breath-taking visual storytellers for a production that played to packed houses and rave reviews. I leave every creative meeting with Kate feeling energised, inspired, and confident we are on the way to delivering another spectacular production.”
Michael Braithwaite, Creative Director, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo
