Output details

The 7 Ages of Britain Teaser

In 2009 I was approached by Jonty Claypole, then a producer at BBC One, to propose a 3 minute 'teaser' that would function as both a work of contemporary video art and an introduction to the final episode of 'The Seven Ages of Britain' - a cultural history of Britain written and presented by David Dimbleby and broadcast on BBC One during 2010. The result was the short, absurdist film fiction ‘The 7 Ages of Britain Teaser’, which I wrote and directed - addressing themes of myth and narrative within history and broadcasting. The film and its making were both featured at the beginning of the seventh episode of the series. 'The 7 Ages of Britain Teaser’ involves Dimbleby acting and providing a voiceover for a prosthetic replica of his own face - as well as reflexively explaining the concept of this “piece of modern art”. The work was broadcast on BBC One to approximately 7 million people and has subsequently been viewable on the BBC One website. It also features on the BBC DVD of The Seven Ages of Britain series.