Kan Yama Kan
Stories within stories, moving between the real and the imagined.
Kan Yama Kan reimagined the world of 1001 Nights as an original stage production in Riyadh.
At 59 Studio, I worked within the concept team developing the show’s video language alongside the spatial design, shaping how the production could move from grounded, recognisable worlds into something more fantastical.
As Senior Video Designer, I developed visualisations and storyboards through the concept phase before handing the project into production.
Role
Senior Video Designer (Concept)
Created at
59 Studio
Format
Theatre / Spatial Media
Location
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Two worlds, one stage
The central challenge was transformation: the same stage had to hold both the real world and the imagined stories nested inside it.
A traverse stage sat within a ring of rear-projected surfaces. Gauzes could move into the space to create courtyards, extensions or completely envelop the performers, while floor projection added another layer beneath them.
More grounded scenes used a relatively realistic visual language. As the storytelling moved into fantasy, the imagery became more illustrative and evocative.
Designing for change
An open brief creates a different kind of problem: not finding possibilities, but deciding which ones are worth pursuing.
We explored different ways the stage could transform while keeping the production workable, balancing spectacle with live changeovers, minimal props, projection surfaces and the practical realities of performance.
The resulting system gave the show room to keep changing without needing to rebuild the world for every scene.
Project credits
Video Design: Max Italiaander at 59 Studio
Max’s involvement focused on concept development, visualisation and storyboarding before handover into production.
Video designers: Dale Croft, Catherine Woodhouse and Max Italiaander.
Design director: Leo Warner.
Stage and set designer: Claudia Fragoso.
Directed by Will Tuckett, written by Jude Christian and produced by Wonderjunkie and Anthology.
Production images courtesy of 59 Studio.