David Attenborough, the legendary British broadcaster and natural historian, is bringing a brand new show to London in 2023. The show, titled “Our Living Planet”, will be an immersive theatrical experience featuring some of Attenborough’s most stunning footage from the natural world. It aims to inspire visitors to protect and preserve the diversity of life on Earth. In this article, we will explore what attendees can expect from the show and provide key details including dates, location, ticket information and more. We will also look at some of David Attenborough’s most groundbreaking work and why this new show represents the next evolution in his lifelong mission to document the natural world and catalyze environmental action.
What is the premise of the new David Attenborough show?
“Our Living Planet” has been billed as a “breathtaking new stage show” that will take audiences on a journey through some of the most spectacular landscapes and wildlife spectacles on Earth. The premise is to use stunning visuals, immersive sound and live narration to fully immerse visitors in the wonders of nature and highlight both the beauty and fragility of the natural systems that sustain all life on Earth.
The show will follow a similar format to Attenborough’s acclaimed documentaries like “Planet Earth”, “Blue Planet” and “Frozen Planet”, using jaw-dropping footage of animals and ecosystems in the wild. However, it will incorporate this content into a large-scale, theatrical stage production using state-of-the-art screens, projectors and sound systems to create an experience far beyond just watching footage on a TV screen.
The aim is to not only showcase the splendor of the natural world, but also emphasize the urgent need to protect it. According to the show’s producers, it will highlight the environmental perils facing ecosystems and species around the world and stress the vital importance of conserving biodiversity. In line with Attenborough’s long career bringing environmental issues to public attention, the goal is to both inspire awe for nature and galvanize the audience into action to safeguard the future of the planet.
When and where is the David Attenborough show happening?
“Our Living Planet” will take place at London’s OVO Arena Wembley in the spring of 2023. The limited run will kick off on April 5th, 2023 and run for approximately five weeks until May 7th, 2023.
There will be both matinee and evening shows taking place during the run. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays there will be 2 pm matinee shows and 7:30 pm evening shows. On Sundays there will be 1 pm and 5:30 pm showtimes.
The OVO Arena Wembley is a large covered indoor arena with a capacity of 12,500 seats, providing an epic backdrop for this cutting-edge natural history show. Located in Wembley Park in north-west London, it offers excellent transport links, making it easily accessible for attendees traveling from central London and beyond.
Who is involved in creating the show?
David Attenborough serves as presenter and narrator, lending his iconic voice and decades of experience bringing the natural world to audiences. While the 97-year-old Attenborough no longer travels for filming, the show will incorporate footage from many of his most stunning past projects documenting wildlife and landscapes from every corner of the globe.
The show is produced by the production company Live Nation in conjunction with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). The two companies previously partnered in 2020 to create “David Attenborough: A Life On Our Planet”, a film chronicling Attenborough’s career and his witnessing of environmental change over 93 years.
Some of the award-winning creative team from that project reunite here, including executive producer Colin Barr and director Jonny Hughes. The show also utilizes the latest innovations from Nova Productions, a UK-based company specializing in natural history filmmaking and advanced screen technologies, to create the immersive audiovisual spectacles. The aim is to provide an unforgettable theatrical experience that makes audiences feel truly transported to far-flung locales and face-to-face with majestic creatures.
What can audiences expect to see and experience?
Audiences are promised a mesmerizing showcase of breath-taking nature footage on a grand scale. The show will use multiple ultra-high resolution LED screens up to 40 feet wide, filling up to 270 degrees of the audience’s field of vision.
These will display some of Attenborough’s most stunning wildlife scenes and scenery shot from the Amazon rainforest to the Arctic tundra. High-spec cinema-grade projectors and 3D audio soundscapes will create an immersive experience, from the roar of a lion to the rustling leaves of a rainforest.
There will also be on-stage narration from Attenborough himself at certain shows. While the main audio will be pre-recorded narration, Attenborough will make occasional live appearances to narrate a section or interact with the audience.
Shorter theatrical segments will complement the screen visuals and narration. These include performances by aerialists, dancers and puppeteers representing various animals and natural processes. For example, silk dancers may represent the shimmering shapes of jellyfish, while puppeteers manipulate larger-than-life animal puppets like elephants and whales.
Interactive and sensory elements will also feature, like smell effects to evoke landscapes from fragrant tropical flowers to the salty scent of the ocean. Plants, rocks and other natural artifacts will be on display in the halls for audiences to touch and examine up-close. The aim is to create a fully immersive experience engaging all the senses to bring the natural world to vivid life.
What are some of David Attenborough’s most iconic projects featured?
While an exact playlist has not been announced, the show is likely to feature many of the stunning scenes and stories captured in David Attenborough’s ground-breaking documentaries over nearly seven decades of work.
Some of the probable highlights include:
– Planet Earth (2006) – The monumental, Emmy-winning BBC nature documentary capturing never-before-seen wildlife behaviors from around the world. It was one of the most watched documentaries ever, wowing audiences with footage like great white sharks leaping from the sea and vast flocks of birds spiraling across skies.
– Blue Planet II (2017) – The sequel exploring the mysteries of the world’s oceans used new camera technologies to reveal amazing underwater behaviors, from tuskfish collaborating to break open clams to bottlenose dolphins swimming with Antarctic sea ice. The series highlighted threats like plastic pollution and overfishing.
– Frozen Planet (2011) – This award-winning look at life in the Arctic and Antarctic had standout moments including killer whale waves washing seals off ice floes and the epic trek of young emperor penguins across icy wastelands.
– Planet Earth II (2016) – The sequel to Planet Earth captured even more rare and dramatic scenes like snakes chasing baby iguanas and snow leopards prowling Himalayan cliffs. The technology also improved, with ultra HD 4k and aerial drones used.
– Seven Worlds, One Planet (2019) – Attenborough’s most recent BBC series highlighted the distinct ecosystems of each continent and the unique biodiversity found across the globe’s regions.
Why is David Attenborough spearheading this new show?
David Attenborough has been a pioneering force in nature documentaries, helping to transform how audiences view and connect with the natural world. At age 97, he has witnessed first-hand the rapid pace of human-caused environmental change and species loss over the last century.
According to Attenborough, the aim with “Our Living Planet” is to use the latest audiovisual technology to connect audiences with nature in a deeper, more powerful way than ever before. The immersive theatrical setting will make the animals, landscapes and environmental threats portrayed feel more real and vivid than on a TV screen.
Attenborough hopes this more emotional, experiential show may inspire viewers to take action to address the urgent challenges facing the planet they inhabit – and remind them just how wondrous yet fragile this shared “living planet” is.
As someone who has spent a lifetime traversing the globe and documenting its living spectacles, Attenborough feels a duty to use his platform to increase awareness and help protect biodiversity. At his advanced age, this innovative stage show represents a new way for him to continue his mission and catalyze change – by bringing the natural world to dazzling life before audience’s eyes.
How can viewers become inspired to protect the planet after watching?
The show aims not just to dazzle viewers with nature’s splendor, but also spur them to protect the environment. Several elements highlight threats to ecosystems and species to prompt the audience into action.
These include:
– Examining human activities harming habitats and wildlife, like deforestation, overfishing and climate change. Dramatic before-and-after images will spotlight the impacts.
– Short mini-documentaries interspersed spotlighting specific conservation issues and success stories. Local conservationists may also give talks.
– Infographics presenting key environmental metrics and statistics on biodiversity loss.
– Exhibits from conservation organizations in the lobby where visitors can learn more and join efforts.
– Concrete suggestions during the show and in programs for how viewers can help, like donating to reputable environmental groups, volunteering locally, consuming sustainably, voting for green policies and spreading awareness.
– A limited number of tickets available where proceeds go to WWF conservation work.
– Potential Q&A sessions with Attenborough about environmental action.
The aim is to balance portraying nature’s grandeur with sober depictions of its fragility. Attenborough hopes that by engaging audiences emotionally with the living world, they will be motivated to ensure its ongoing survival.
How can you get tickets to see the show in London?
Tickets to see “Our Living Planet” at the OVO Arena Wembley are available now, although demand is expected to be extremely high.
Tickets can be purchased:
– Online through official ticket retailers like AXS and Ticketmaster. Prices range from £43-£120 based on seat location.
– By phone from the OVO Arena Wembley box office. Call 0844 856 0202.
– In person at the OVO Arena Wembley box office located at Wembley Park Blvd in London.
Given Attenborough’s huge popularity and the limited run, tickets will likely sell out extremely quickly. Booking early via the website is recommended to secure seats.
There are also charity tickets available where £10 from each ticket sold will be donated to WWF conservation efforts. These are limited and sold through WWF’s website.
Various seated and accessible tickets are available to accommodate different needs. Note the show runs approximately 2 hours long including a 20 minute intermission.
Conclusion
David Attenborough’s new show “Our Living Planet” promises to be a truly unique celebration of the natural world. Using state-of-the-art technology and theatrical effects, it aims to immerse audiences in some of the most spectacular wildlife sights on Earth captured over Attenborough’s unparalleled career.
The show hopes to inspire deeper appreciation and concern for the living systems that sustain all life, highlighting the urgent need for conservation. While television documentaries have allowed Attenborough to educate viewers for decades, this new multisensory live experience marks an ambitious new phase. The intimate Wembley Arena setting will allow the iconic broadcaster to connect more deeply with audiences as he continues his mission to preserve the planet’s biodiversity.
For anyone wanting to be transported up-close to majestic creatures great and small, from the comfort of a London theatre, this show looks unmissable. The limited run means those interested should book early, especially given Attenborough’s one-of-a-kind legacy. Few storytellers have done more to bring the natural world into our homes – and now audiences have a stunning chance to experience it unfold anew before their eyes.