Sanatorium: a shared mystical experience via zoom

Sanatorium: a shared mystical experience via zoom is an adaptation of my book Sanatorium, designed to provide an immersive experience for audiences during the Covid 19 pandemic. It felt important to have a way of reaching out and touching my audience during a period where that was not possible (had been impossible for many of my readers way beyond the pandemic). Therefore, I re-translated Sanatorium into a multisensory experience using footage of water, floating and some of the original source material that I filmed while researching for the book.

The book is divided into three main strands: set between my inflatable blue bathtub, a thermal sanatorium in Budapest and in a floating dreamspace where I interact with the ghost of Saint Teresa of Avila. In the performance I read from the bathtub and dreamspace sequence, while overlaying film footage from the sanatorium.

Backstage at Bloomsbury Festival

(styled by Mia Maxwell, images by Faith Aylward, Makeup by Goodie May-Johnson)

The film also includes footage by my collaborator Anna Ulrikke Andersen, filmed on a bolex camera as part of a residency funded by iPortunus. Anna also produced a Sanatorium film from this footage - more info here.

Sanatorium: a shared mystical experience via zoom was produced by Nick Murray. Its score was composed by Nick Murray also.

Sanatorium: a shared mystical experience via zoom was commissioned by Bloomsbury Festival and streamed live from SET Studio Bermondsey.

Film stills from Sanatorium, shot by Anna Ulrikke Andersen