Yanira D. Kivi 
Fabulous wonderland, a virtual reality (VR) music video inspired by the recent National production of the musical by Damon Albarn and Moira Buffini Wonderland, will be presented as part of the very first VR selection at the Cannes International Film Festival.
It will be screened as part of Film Market NEXT, the industry’s program dedicated to the future of cinema, alongside five other VR videos, as part of the very first Focus NEXT VR.
Fabulous wonder.land was created to explore Wonderland, the National Theater musical created by Albarn, Buffini and Rufus Norris, inspired by the iconic Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland, as the first virtual reality experience that the National has ever developed for its audience. It was considered part of enter wonderland, a free digital exhibit that ran at the National until April 30, and is currently also available through the iTunes App Store and Google Play.
It allows spectators to fall into the rabbit hole and land in Wonderland – a vibrant world with a unique soundscape. Like the full multicolored shine of Wonderland is revealed, the Cheshire Cat hovers overhead, serenading you to an original Albarn composition with lyrics by Buffini.
In a press release, Toby Coffey, Head of Digital Development at the National Theater, said: “We are both delighted and honored to have been selected for the very first VR installment at the Cannes Film Festival. It’s great to see our work in this category, further ensuring the relevance of theater for this exciting new form of storytelling. “
NT’s digital development department worked closely with the show’s creative and production teams to create the installation, including Wonderland scenographer Rae Smith and associate scenographer Tom Paris. The video is created in collaboration with 59 Productions and Play Nicely, with executive producer Mahdi Yahya, General Manager of Room One.
To download from iTunes, visit https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/fabulous-wonder.land/id1066348823?mt=8.
