The Observatory, a multi-sensory experience to understand human emotions from the perspective of someone who does not feel them. Audiences are 'The Passive Observers' brought in to The Observatory to sample six cocktails derived from liquid extracted from a person who can feel, induced in to a heightened state of emotion. 

Audiences dripped the cocktail on to the tongue with a pipette. 

These cocktails were combined with binaural beats, delivered through wireless headphones and audiences observed a performer who represented heightened emotions. 

The Observatory won Vault Festival’s 
SPIRIT OF THE FESTIVAL" AWARD 2015


The Observatory was the seed of our company Runhoratio. Using digital and interactive elements, we aim to ignite all of the senses. The collective are made up of young designers from non-theatre backgrounds.

COCKTAILS SIMULATING HUMAN EMOTIONS.

Relaxation 

Numbing, sweet, purple
V.S.O.P. Courvoisier Cognac,
Agwa de Bolivia herbal coca leaf liqueur 
Krupnik honey liqueur

Sadness

Dry, cold grey
Pecan nut infused Stolichnaya vodka
Noilly Prat vermouth

Passion

Thick, sticky, unnervingly savory, blue
Advocaat 
Liquid hickory smoke 
Champagne reduction inflused Stolichnaya vokda

Face scrunchingly sour, pitch black
Tanquery Rangpur gin
Cointreau orange liqueur 
Citric acid

Joy

Overwhelmingly sweet & floral, green
Gilbert Miclo Rose liqueur
St Germain Elderflower liqueur

Anger

Warm, tangy, spicy, red
Jose Cuervo Anejo Tradicional
Kalhua coffee liqueur
Thai green chilli infused Spirytus
Mozart Chocolate Bitters

Analysing how emotions could manifest through synesthesia. Swap feeling with taste, combined with binaural harmonics tuned to different states of alertness.  

TEAM

Set
Daniel Errey & Thomas K Shannon

Performance Design & Latex Costume Design
Lauren Bridle

Film (Promo)
Alexandre Do

Film (Live)
Will Hazell

Cowritter
Lloyd Ryan Thomas

Director/Designer/Producer
Sofi Lee-Henson

Performance
Ellie Rose Boswell, Adam Wittek & Ragnar Petursson

Sound Designer 
Emmett Glynn

Assistant Producer
Sophie Kendrick

Lighting Designer
Saulius Peter Valiunas