Approaching Apocalypse is
an audiovisual representation of
the final book of the Bible -
the Book of Revelation.

The edited text is in a new translation and is read by some of the UK’s leading actors.

The visuals by digital illustrator, David Miles, seek to recreate the visions included in the Book of Revelation. In the hour-long show, these images are accompanied by a stunning soundtrack created by a composer, Simon Hall, and award winning documentary producer, Rosie Boulton.

The audience is seated in darkness. The images appear on a large screen and the audience is surrounded by the dynamic sound track.

The artists involved offer no theological interpretation of the text, but rather, invite the audience to simply engage with the Book of Revelation.

Approaching Apocalypse premiered at St Martin-in-the-Bullring Church in Birmingham, UK, in November 2008. It is hoped that the Show will tour both nationally and internationally.

A DVD of Approaching Apocalypse is available which includes the Show itself as well as documentary material about the background to, and making of, the Show.

Approaching Apocalypse took over ten years to make. It began with photographer and digital illustrator, David Miles, recreating the visions included in the Book of Revelation. Working closely with a classicist and theologian, Sheila Harris, David combined conventional photography with digital imaging techniques to create a set of images corresponding as closely as possible with the original Greek text.

A new translation of the edited text was then made by the scholar in Hebrew and Greek, and prolific writer on religious history, Dr Margaret Barker. Her aim was to make a translation of Revelation which would be accessible to a 21st Century audience whilst retaining something of the poetry and lyricism of earlier translations.

A collaboration was then forged between David Miles, radio drama and documentary producer, Rosie Boulton and composer, Simon Hall.

Sound production began when Rosie brought Joss Ackland into a studio to read the part of the Apostle John. He was followed by Julian Rhind-Tutt, reading the words of Christ, and finally Burt Caesar and Mojisola Adebayo, providing the voices of the angels.

Composer Simon Hall, who has a background in electroacoustic composition, then created a soundscape which fused the actors’ voices with dramatic setting, sonic art, choral voices and music.

Interviews with the Approaching Apocalypse Team

The Images – including a commentary about their visual realisation

‘Representative images’
Copyright: David Miles/Approaching Apocalypse

Approaching Apocalypse premiered at St Martin-in-the-Bullring Church in Birmingham, UK, in November 2008. The sell-out Show saw over one thousand people attending from across the UK. The presentation stimulated a great response and much discussion, and prompted the following review:

"The complexity of the text itself has been impressively and seamlessly rewritten to scope the whole book in under an hour. The visual descriptions of horses, dragons, crowns, cities and new heaven and earth are recreated with technologies depicting as accurately as possible the original text. This is impressive. The reading of the text by Joss Ackland is captivating. The whole experience of the hour is a reflection of the ancient text which finds new meaning today.

This production does not pretend to be all singing and dancing. It is not a major movie production with action and battle scenes like Lord of the Rings.

Whilst appealing to the same sense of considering ‘the other’ it is a reflection which requires stillness and demands nothing more than quiet attention.

With this, the visuals then take on deeper meaning and the audience has space to consider what the original author conveyed.

The setting of a large church adds to the sense of expectation, importance and serious nature of the words being spoken. The subject matter is not popular but has a timeless quality. This bold production is worth seeing by a lot more people and I commend it warmly".

Captain Jim Currin, CA.
Executive Secretary,
Churches Together in England

It is hoped that the show will tour both nationally and internationally. Please get in touch if you are interested in having a showing of Approaching Apocalypse at your venue. ask@approachingapocalypse.com

Online Shop

DVDs of the Show or sound-only CDs can be purchased by post, or by PayPal.

The cost (including p&p) is £11.50 for the DVD and £8.50 for the CD.

PayPal

DVD £11.50 CD £8.50

By Post

Please send orders and cheques to:
Approaching Apocalypse
1 Rose Avenue
Henley-in-Arden
Warwickshire
B95 5JR

Cheques should be made payable to 'Approaching Apocalypse'

For additional enquiries, email: davidjerredmiles@btopenworld.com