Echoes From the End: Jóhann Jóhannsson’s Vision of Humanity’s Future Returns to the Stage

Set in a distant future where the human race teeters on the brink of extinction, the last remnants of humanity reach back across two billion years in a stage performance that combines 16mm film with live performances from three dancers and seven musicians. Based on and using visuals from Last and First Men by Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannson, the dystopian film is in turn based on Olaf Stapledon’s visionary 1930s sci-fi novel; the film was completed by Yair Elazar Glotman after Jóhannson’s untimely death in 2018, and Glotman returns as musical director for this live performance of Johannson’s final work. Narrated by Tilda Swinton, the cinematic event breathes life into his haunting vision of a world beyond our own, one shaped by extraordinary abilities, new possibilities, and profound difference.

Choreographer and creator Adrienne Hart said, “It feels like we’re getting fewer and fewer chances to sit and contemplate the world around us. To question our existence, in and outside of pasts and futures. We rarely get to wonder, truly amble through the question, why are we here? This is a work for that. We hope it offers some discomfort and some solace in this. It is not about bombarding an audience with steps, rather, offering them a kind of speculative feast. It’s been an absolute privilege to reimagine this work for the stage and to work with those who were part of Johannsson’s close creative circle to realise the performance alongside live score. I’ve also been able to work alongside long-time collaborators including the award winning artist Ana Rajcevic who has a deep connection to the work.”

Ana Rajcevic, costume and prop designer, said “The performance unfolds against Johann Jóhannsson’s haunting 16mm black-and-white film, featuring monumental stone sculptures — called the "Spomenik" in serbo-croatian — built during the communist era in the former Yugoslavia, where I was born. This very personal connection made the project even more meaningful for me, blending my country's history, my own memories, and my work's focus on future human evolution into one experience.”

Jóhann Jóhannson (1969 – 2018) was an influential Icelandic composer whose music blended traditional orchestrations with contemporary elements. He wrote for theatre, dance, television and film, with Oscar nominations for both Sicario and The Theory of Everything, winning a Golden Globe for the latter, and another nomination for Arrival. Last and First Men was his only directorial work; it premiered as a live performance at Manchester International Festival in 2017, but the film didn’t receive its premiere until 2020, two years after his death.

Last and First Men is presented by Neon Dance and Bristol Beacon in collaboration with Encounters Film Festival. It will be performed at Dance City Newcastle (18 Sept) and Bristol Beacon (26 Sept) with further performances TBA  www.neondance.org