Ian McKellen, Golda Rosheuvel, Rosie Sheeny and Arinze Kene rehearsing a play (like no other) An Ark

Fiona was asked to photograph the incredible Ian McKellen, Golda Rosheuvel, Rosie Sheeny and Arinze Kene rehearsing a play (like no other) An Ark, which opened at The Shed, New York, January 2026.

Fiona describes the work:

“The shoot was intense and required my complete focus while attempting to go unnoticed. I had to capture the actors working, their relationships with each other, with the director Sarah Frankcome and writer Simon Stevens. Under the creative eye of producer Todd Eckert from Tin Drum. 

It is a completely different discipline working as photographer-observer it requires concentration, and flexibility and if it goes well you find yourself in a flow-state with the creatives around you on the same journey but recording and interpreting from outside. 



It is a real honour to contribute to this unique new way of producing theatre. An Ark is the first play ever produced for and in mixed reality. Each audience member has a personal performance experience of the actors speaking directly to them through cutting edge technology. I first experienced wearing glasses that meant I could hear and watch, from every angle, the brilliant musician Ryuichi Sakamoto, at the Round House in London in December 2024. And was thrilled when Todd Eckert, producer of both shows asked me to record the rehearsal process. I can’t wait to see the show, like Ian McKellen, who told the NY times “No one is more keen to have this experience than me, I am looking forward to going to my own opening night.”