Lightroom's latest immersive cinematic experience celebrates Aardman Animations, the company behind beloved claymation films and TV shows. The show moves between documentary storytelling, behind-the-scenes insight, and dazzling immersive renderings of wide-grinned, cheeky northern favourites.
From Surrey to the stars
Visitors learn how Peter Lord and David Sproxton met in suburban Surrey and started experimenting with clay, before joining forces with Nick Park and taking their work from Woking to international fame. The narrative covers the creation of Morph from a ball of clay, how animators act out scenes to camera before using puppets, and how they shape mouths to form the "eeee" sound of the word cheese. These segments are interspersed with Shaun the Sheep performing in a barn-based talent show and clips from major cinematic triumphs.
The experience makes a convincing argument for why Aardman is so important and beloved. Early on, a clip from 1989's A Grand Day Out, the first Wallace & Gromit film, shows every lump and bump in the clay, every fingerprint and smudge, at huge scale. Director Lucy Izzard says in a voiceover: "I think people still crave imperfection," capturing why Aardman matters in an age that feels non-human.
A clash of form and content
The hand-made, imperfect aesthetic rubs awkwardly against the technological wizardry of immersive cinema. The bigger issue is that the experience doesn't fully know what it wants to be. It ends up as half-documentary, half-clip show, becoming sort of neither and a bit hard to follow. It doesn't take full advantage of Lightroom's capabilities, lacking the boldness and fun it could have.
One effective use of the tech is the side screens, which make visitors feel inside environments like Shaun the Sheep's barn, Gromit's cardboard box as he spies on Feathers McGraw, or behind the recording desk as actors do vocal takes. But it's not quite enough.
Fun moments but not enough for kids
There's fun to be had: seeing Creature Comforts recreated in living rooms and gardens, concept art and storyboards coming to life, and the video for Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer at enormous scale. However, it lacks the crowd-pleasing immersive thrills of Lightroom's recent Prehistoric Planet: Discovering Dinosaurs.
The show doesn't offer enough for children, and the storytelling isn't strong enough for adults. It's gimmick over narrative, as if the creators asked "How can we tell our story in an immersive-ish way?" rather than "How can we make an amazing immersive experience?" These are different propositions.
This show doesn't tarnish Aardman's stellar reputation or detract from their quirky, quaint, funny work, but it doesn't add a huge amount either. Larger Than Life is at Lightroom, London, from 14 October to 4 January.
