Draw Me Close is an unforgettable experience
Jordan Tannahill's autobiographical virtual reality show works on a heightened, emotional, extrasensory level.
- Written and directed by Jordan Tannahill
Draw Me Close blurs the worlds of live performance, virtual reality and animation to create a vivid memoir about the relationship between a mother and her son charting twenty-five years of love, learning and loss. Weaving theatrical storytelling with cutting-edge technology, the individual immersive experience allows the audience member to take the part of the protagonist, Jordan, inside a live, animated world.
Written and directed by Jordan Tannahill, Draw Me Close is the first major co-production between the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) and the National Theatre’s Immersive Storytelling Studio. Using a real-time motion capture system, the set is transformed into an interactive space that is both physical and virtual. Guided through Jordan’s childhood home by an actress portraying his mother, the result is a disarmingly intimate work that gives life to the sublime agony of loving, and inevitably losing, those who have shaped us the most.
Company
Jordan Tannahill is a novelist, playwright, and director who is widely celebrated as one of Canada’s most accomplished young artists. His works have been translated into multiple languages and honoured with numerous prizes, including the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama in 2013 and 2018. In addition to his theatre and film projects, Jordan has also worked in dance, choreographing and performing with Toronto Dance Theatre’s Christopher House and writing the text for Akram Khan's celebrated dance pieces Xenos and Outwitting the Devil.
The National Film Board of Canada (NFB) is one of the world’s leading digital content hubs, creating groundbreaking interactive documentaries and animation, mobile content, installations and participatory experiences. NFB interactive productions and digital platforms have won 100 awards, including 21 Webbys. To access this award-winning content and discover the work of NFB creators, visit NFB.ca, download its apps for mobile devices or visit NFB Pause.
Creative team
- Written and directed by Jordan Tannahill
- Producers David Oppenheim and Johanna Nicholls
- Executive Producers Anita Lee and Toby Coffey
- Creative technologists All Seeing Eye
- Illustrations Teva Harrison
- Additional illustrations Ollie Kay
- Motion capture lead Aylwin Lo
- Senior developer, motion capture Lukasz Ruminsky
- Set Design Tom Paris
- Sound design Gareth Fry
National Creation Fund investment
The National Creation Fund’s investment of $155,000 augmented the last phase of development through additional dramaturgical work, further testing and enhancement of the technology required for live motion capture, and a workshop with both the creative and technical team to fully integrate the new elements.
Credits
A National Film Board of Canada and The National Theatre of Great Britain co-production, in association with the National Arts Centre. With the R&D participation of SIRT.
Performance dates
Past performances
| Presented by Soulpepper and the National Film Board | Nov 4 - Dec 12, 2021 | Michael Young Theatre (Toronto) |
