YOUR GUIDE TO PULSANT A MESSAGE FROM THE PSY-ARCHITECTS POWERING TRANSMEDIA CATRIN EVANS & LEWIS HETHERINGTON We live in a world where almost everything is disposable. Once we’ve taken what we need from something we get rid of it and we get an upgrade. Where does this ideology take us? Is our Planet the ultimate disposable item? Perhaps it is inevitable that at some point we will outgrow this planet and leave. We wanted to make this imaginative leap into the stars, and so we began exploring how we would take an audience on this journey with us. Over the two and half years that we have been developing Leaving Planet Earth we have been surrounded by a political and economic climate in chaos; where the leading narrative is for the individual consumer to buy their way out of trouble and to look after oneself at all costs. In the UK the infrastructures that exist to remind At Pulsant we are proud to be working with the Galactic Futures Organisation, us that we are a society, not just a host of individuals co-existing, are being Grid Iron and the Edinburgh International Festival to support your journey dismantled. Education, Welfare and Health services are all under attack and with it to New Earth. anger, distrust and self-preservation envelope us. With all this going on, wouldn’t it be tempting just to start again, if you could? It was this question that we kept We have been around since the early days of the internet, providing high returning to. If all the scientific and technological advances had been made, what quality IT infrastructure services to the mid-market since 1995. A lot has would starting again on a brand new planet look like? Who would choose to leave? happened since then to define the hosting environment we live in today and And at what point would ridding themselves of Earth seem like a sensible option? That was the story we wanted to unravel. we are pioneers that are dedicated to enhancing the user experience and taking it to the next level. And from there, the vision grew – our collaborations extended out to performers and creatives from multiple disciplines, academics and scientists – and of course In recent years we have grown steadily, both organically and through we discovered the Climbing Arena! This remarkable site inspired us to create a acquisition and now own 10 data centres in 5 different locations across the centre for new arrivals and the character of Vela; an extraordinary woman whose UK. As a result, we are one of the country’s largest providers of Colocation, vision to start again relies on unburdening ourselves of the mess we made of Old Cloud, Managed Hosting, Managed Networks, and Managed Application Earth. Set in an alternative present day – perhaps not so dissimilar to the reality we live in – the show is populated by characters who long for something better but services with customers ranging from SMEs through to large private and no longer believe that anything can be salvaged from the mess that has been made public sector organisations. of their home planet. We are developing the business to be the leading provider of enterprise-grade, We want to ask questions that challenge us as a society and as individuals. What is hosted IT solutions in the UK. As we move towards realising this ambition, our responsibility to this planet? What would it take to get you to leave? And do we we would also expect to replicate this achievement in new territories. really deserve a clean slate? Leaving Planet Earth asks epic questions, but through Our values will steer this mission, Empowerment, Simplification, Passion, a human lens. Both the characters and audience Accessibility, Empathy and Humanity. are cast as migrants existing alongside each other We hope you enjoyed your journey to New Earth and wish you the best in a new world. As the show unfolds and the stories WE ARE NOT crackle through, an invitation appears for people of luck for a new future. to reflect and question, but also, to think and SENTIMENTAL to dream. ABOUT THE PAST OR NAIVE ABOUT THE FUTURE WELLNESS ENABLERS Corporate Friends International Partners Trusts and Foundations Bank of Scotland and Agencies The Binks Trust SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS BP Australian High Cruden Foundation Limited The Caledonian, A Waldorf Commission, London The Peter Diamand Trust Astoria Hotel Consulate General of the The Evelyn Drysdale HEINEKEN Federal Republic of Charitable Trust Germany, Edinburgh Macdonald Holyrood Hotel The Ellem Foundation Consulate General of Maclay Murray & Spens LLP Gordon Fraser Charitable Trust Ireland to Scotland Planet Flowers The Inches Carr Trust Consulate of the Kingdom of Prestige Scotland The Netherlands, Edinburgh Eda, Lady Jardine Charitable Trust The Royal Bank of Scotland Consulate General of the People’s The H I McMorran Shell UK Limited Republic of China in Edinburgh Charitable Foundation Consulate General of The Morton Charitable Trust Principal Donors Switzerland, Edinburgh The Negaunee Foundation Culture Ireland The Pirie Rankin Charitable Trust American Friends of the Edinburgh Risk Charitable Fund International Festival Embassy of the Kingdom of The Netherlands, London The Royal Edinburgh The Director’s Circle Embassy of Switzerland, London Military Tattoo Edinburgh International Festival Benefactors Embassy of the United States The Stevenston Charitable Trust Edinburgh International Festival of America, London The Sym Charitable Trust Endowment Fund Institut français Wellcome Trust Edinburgh International Festival The Italian Cultural The KT Wong Foundation Friends and Patrons Institute, Edinburgh Korea Arts Management Service Event Supporters Corporate Associates Korea Creative Content Agency Korean Cultural Centre UK University and College Union Alba Water Scotland Korean Ministry of Culture, Cullen Property Sports and Tourism Scottish Federation of Entertainment Unions Dimensions (Scotland) Ltd The Ministry of Culture, The Glasshouse People’s Republic of China Edinburgh Trades Union Council Hotel du Vin, Edinburgh Swiss Cultural Fund in Edinburgh NUJ branches Johnston Press plc Britain – SCFB Justerini & Brooks The Ministry of Culture, Taiwan Omni Centre Edinburgh Taipei Representative The Rutland Hotel Office in the UK Scottish Beverage Services Taipei Representative Office in the UK, Edinburgh Office Springbank Distillers Ltd United States Consulate STRATHMORE SPRING WATER General, Edinburgh We would also like to extend our thanks to all the artists, companies, creative and production teams at the Edinburgh International Festival. As a mark of our appreciation, and as a memento of the Festival and of Scotland, all artists are presented with a bottle of whisky. This year we are very grateful to Springbank Distillers Ltd for donating a special 2013 limited edition Scotch Whisky blend to mark the 67th Festival. Bottles are available from whisky specialists throughout Edinburgh, including Cadenheads Whisky Shop, 172 Canongate, Edinburgh, 0131 556 5684 or from www.springbankwhisky.com Edinburgh International Festival Society is registered as a company in Scotland (No SC024766) and as a Scottish Charity (No SC004694). Registered Address: The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2NE. WELLNESS ENABLERS NEW SETTLERS SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS CAST & CREW Cast (in character alphabetical order) Stage Management Emilia Molly Taylor Lee Davis, Kara Jackson & Anne Page Hal Chris Nayak Head of Sound Roy Fairhead Harper Juliana Yazbeck Sound Engineer Guy Coletta John Finlay Welsh Head of Stage JJ McGregor Jost Peter Wiedmann Production Technicians Kieran Diamond & Dave Cooper Meeka Anna-Maria Nabirye Set Design Assistant Lia Waber Saad Robert Jack Costume Design Assistant Dannie Gallagher Vela Lucianne McEvoy Costume Cutter & Maker Sara Hill Costume Maker Felicity Edmond Boy (Audio) Angus and Joseph Pinsky Set Build B Scenic Sinead (Film) Muireann Kelly GFO Film-makers Gatekeeper Voiceover Melody Grove James Blake, Kirsten MacLeod, Blair Stewart GFO Voiceover (& film) Kenny Blyth Programme Design GFO Journalist (Film) James Blake Emma Quinn, Beata Zemanek, Ann Davies GFO Scientists (Film) Publicity Image Douglas Chalmers DK Arvind, Janek Mann, Jon Oberlander, Arno Verhoeven Transmedia Team Transmedia Designer Beata Zemanek Creative & Production Team Writers/Directors Transmedia Assistants Catrin Evans & Lewis Hetherington Omar Branco, Douglas Chalmers, Robert Doyle, Natalie King, Chris Pincombe, Producer Judith Doherty Stuart Smith and Martha Schofield Set & Video Designers For University of Edinburgh Centre for Design Becs Andrews and Dave Lynch Informatics/Centre for Speckled Computing/Edinburgh College of Art: Lighting Designer Paul Claydon Professor Jon Oberlander, DK Arvind, LOOK Composer & Sound Designer Philip Pinsky Janek Mann, Michael Walters, Andrew Bates, Arno Verhoeven and Mark Kobine. TO THE Costume Designer Kat Smith For Edinburgh Napier University: STARS Production Manager Fiona Fraser James Blake, Malcolm Innes, Ian Lambert, Finance Manager Deborah Crewe Andrew O’Dowd, Euan Winton. Technical Manager Simon Hayes This production is dedicated to the memory Stage Manager Mickey Graham of our friend and colleague, Ross Ramsay. Saad Robert Jack Gatekeeper Voiceover Melody Grove BIOGRAPHIES Robert trained at RSAMD in Glasgow. Theatre credits have Theatre includes: Much Ado About Nothing (Old Vic), The included: Black Watch, Elgin Macbeth and Home [Caithness] Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart (Royal Court and National PREPARED BY THE TRANSPARENCY CO-ORDINATOR (National Theatre of Scotland), Stones in his Pockets (Tron Theatre of Scotland World Tour), The Importance of Being Theatre), Interiors & A Brief History of Time (Vanishing Point), Earnest (Lyric Belfast and Royal Lyceum), Of Mice and Men Slick [Fringe First winner 2008] (Vox Motus/Tron), Serov’s (Royal Lyceum), 2401 Objects (Analogue/Pleasance), Snow People, The End of Hope The End of Desire, Heaven, The White & the Seven De’Wharffs (Macrobert); Room, One Night John Finlay Welsh Seagull, What the Animals Say & Videotape (Oran Mor), White Stand, One Thousand Paper Cranes (Tron), The Girls of Slen- CAST Rose (Firebrand), Death of a Salesman & Tam O Shanter der Means (Stellar Quines/Assembly Rooms). Film includes: John studied at the Universities of Glasgow and Vienna.