A radical new interpretation…
…of the stories of Kensington Palace.
2013
About the project
House of Cards explored the history of the House of Stuart and House of Hanover in Kensington Palace as a playful and interactive experience, contrasting the splendour of the court’s public face with the secret intrigues and hidden intimacies of the Royals’ private lives.
Coney was invited to create a radical new interpretation of the stories of Kensington Palace that would give the audience new ways to connect to the people and stories that populated the palace at the height of its glamour and power. We worked with artists and makers to create an interactive installation that audiences could explore and discover.
We transformed the Queen’s Apartments with a narrative exploring the rise and fall of the last generations of the Stuarts through installation, sound and animation. We created a choose-your-own-adventure story for audience to play their own game of court, meeting performers and unlocking stories along the way.
House of Cards was commissioned by Historic Royal Palaces. You can read about the partnership between Coney and Historic Royal Palaces here.
Gallery
Images from House of Cards at Kensington Palace.
Credits
Concept and direction Annette Mees
Producer Tracky Crombie
Project management Kirsty Henderson, Pete McCabe
Stage manager Anna Smith
Designer Joanna Scotcher
Lighting Ben Pacey, Natasha Chivers
Writers Benjamin Yeoh, Glyn Cannon, Sophie Sampson
Sound design Chris Branch, Nicky Donald
Digital Tassos Stevens & Substrakt
Research Helen Walton, Rebecca Frecknall, Sophie Sampson
Company Ben Revell, Dan Ford, Edmund Harcourt, Emma MacLennan, Georgina Bednar, Michael Cusick, Michelle McMahon, Nigel Barrett, Paschale Straiton, Rachel Dale, Richard Popple, Sarah Thomas-Lane, Toby Peach