Sadler’s Wells associate artist Kate Prince’s acclaimed dance theatre production, “Message In A Bottle,” set to the music of 17-time Grammy winner Sting, has been filmed for cinema release in 2024.
The stage show is set to embark on a U.K. and international tour from May 2023.
The original dance production premiered at Sadler’s Wells’ West End venue, The Peacock Theatre, in February 2020. The international refugee crisis is at the centre of “Message In A Bottle.” A village alive with joyous celebrations is suddenly under siege and three parted siblings step out on adventures.
Songs including “Every Breath You Take,” “Roxanne,” “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic” and “Fields of Gold” are featured in new arrangements by Alex Lacamoire, recorded by Sting and guest artists, including Olivier winner Beverley Knight. The show features the talents of dance storytelling outfit ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company. “Message In A Bottle” is produced by Sadler’s Wells and Universal Music U.K. and co-produced with Birmingham Hippodrome and The Lowry, Salford.
This will be the first time Sadler’s Wells has filmed one of its productions for cinema release and is the first partnership between Sadler’s Wells and the Royal Opera House. The film will be released in U.K. cinemas from May 2024, in partnership with the Royal Opera House. Additionally, “Message In A Bottle” will be broadcast in the U.S. as part of the PBS Great Performances season.
Prince worked closely with BAFTA-winning screen director Marcus Viner to capture the show on six Arri-LF 4K cameras. Stage2View, an independent company in the stage-to-screen world, teamed up with Mercury Studios and Sadler’s Wells to produce the film in a sound stage environment.
Prince said: “I am so excited that ‘Message In A Bottle’ will hit cinemas next year, as well as the stage show embarking on a major tour. Having the opportunity to film on a sound stage gave us the ability to capture each element of the show from the best possible angle, allowing the audience to truly appreciate the agility and athleticism of the dancers and draw them fully into the story.”
Sting added: “Kate’s imaginative story and beautiful choreography has brought my songs to new life, and I am thrilled that there is now a film of the fantastic stage show.”
Alistair Spalding, Sadler’s Wells artistic director and chief executive, said, “The meeting of Sting’s rich catalogue of music and Kate Prince’s inventive and energy-filled choreography makes it a must-see show, with an important message at its heart. It’s fantastic that we can bring ‘Message In A Bottle’ to more people with this exciting film, which marks the first time one of our productions has been seen in cinemas.”
The on-stage “Message In A Bottle” production returns to Sadler’s Wells’ Peacock Theatre from Oct. 4 – 14. Ahead of its London run, the show tours to Southampton, Truro, Plymouth, Canterbury, and Salford this summer, as well as venues in Zurich, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.
