Driven to create this device by the lasting memory of a distant father who was killed in a plane crash, it became an industry standard and has helped hundreds of crash scene investigators discover the causes behind the incidents. Creating this device and then getting it to be accepted in a conservative environment was a huge challenge and became his life’s work.

Unique in its presentation, Black Box is actually a musical and uses wireless headphones (like those used in outdoor cinemas) to help create a 3D sonic soundscape and the sound design is fascinating. It mixes live stage sound and pre-recorded elements to fully envelope the viewer. Actor Michael Cormick plays Warren, he has a fine singing voice and is more than up to the task of carrying the proceedings.

The fact that Warren was such a driven man adds dynamic range to the story as he is far from the ideal partner. His disregard for the importance of spending time with his young family and wife, who suffers from Perinatal Depression brings you to the verge of disliking him. His wife Ruth is effectively played by Helpmann Award winner Helen Dallimore. Queenslander Paul Hodge has created a captivating approach to the theatre and this production should not be missed.

Black Box is currently playing a limited season at Cremorne Theatre, QPAC, Brisbane until 19 May 2024 – click here for more information and tickets.
www.qpac.com.au

BLACK BOX is Queenslander Paul Hodge’s ground-breaking new musical based on the extraordinary true story of David Warren, the Australian inventor who created the black box flight recorder that is now on every plane around the globe, and it will have its world premiere at QPAC’s Cremorne Theatre this May.

Driven by the death of his father in an unexplained plane crash when he was eight, BLACK BOX follows David as he fights for an invention that could record the final moments of a flight before it crashes – the black box. His obsession around this invention places his career, marriage and mind at risk. It’s a show about memory, and how we hold onto, and let go of, those we love.

BLACK BOX writer and composer, Paul Hodge, said, “David’s invention was inspired by his love of music. I wanted to create a theatre form that was as inventive as David’s idea, which led to the use of recorded voices and music, in the same way the black box gives recordings, to immerse the audience in David’s sound world.”

Black box inventor David Warren will be played by internationally renowned singer and actor Michael Cormick, who has had leading roles around the world, including in Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast with Hugh Jackman. David’s wife, Ruth, will be played by Helpmann Award winner Helen Dallimore who as well as touring extensively throughout the UK and Australia was the original Glinda opposite Idina Menzel in the West End production of Wicked.

The auditory world that inspired David to create his life-saving invention shapes the audience’s experience at BLACK BOX, which utilises pre-recorded voices and instruments to create a world of music and memory to tell his story. While Helen and Michael are on stage, the rest of the cast are present through a history-making audio experience. BLACK BOX is the first binaural musical with audience members wearing headphones that allow them to be totally immersed in a 360-degree world of sound. Binaural recording uses two microphones, arranged at the position of human ears to create a 3D stereo sound sensation for the listener of actually being in the room with the recorded actors and instruments. This world-premiere production will be directed by David Berthold.

Black Box
Cremorne Theatre, QPAC
10 – 19 May 2024
www.qpac.com.au

BLACK BOX is Queenslander Paul Hodge’s ground-breaking new musical based on the extraordinary true story of David Warren, the Australian inventor who created the black box flight recorder that is now on every plane around the globe, and it will have its world premiere at QPAC’s Cremorne Theatre this May.

Driven by the death of his father in an unexplained plane crash when he was eight, BLACK BOX follows David as he fights for an invention that could record the final moments of a flight before it crashes – the black box. His obsession around this invention places his career, marriage and mind at risk. It’s a show about memory, and how we hold onto, and let go of, those we love.

BLACK BOX writer and composer, Paul Hodge, said, “David’s invention was inspired by his love of music. I wanted to create a theatre form that was as inventive as David’s idea, which led to the use of recorded voices and music, in the same way the black box gives recordings, to immerse the audience in David’s sound world.”

Black box inventor David Warren will be played by internationally renowned singer and actor Michael Cormick, who has had leading roles around the world, including in Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast with Hugh Jackman. David’s wife, Ruth, will be played by Helpmann Award winner Helen Dallimore who as well as touring extensively throughout the UK and Australia was the original Glinda opposite Idina Menzel in the West End production of Wicked.

The auditory world that inspired David to create his life-saving invention shapes the audience’s experience at BLACK BOX, which utilises pre-recorded voices and instruments to create a world of music and memory to tell his story. While Helen and Michael are on stage, the rest of the cast are present through a history-making audio experience. BLACK BOX is the first binaural musical with audience members wearing headphones that allow them to be totally immersed in a 360-degree world of sound. Binaural recording uses two microphones, arranged at the position of human ears to create a 3D stereo sound sensation for the listener of actually being in the room with the recorded actors and instruments. This world-premiere production will be directed by David Berthold.

Black Box
Cremorne Theatre, QPAC
10 – 19 May 2024
www.qpac.com.au