A groundbreaking new live performance fusing film scores, 3D visuals and holographic wizardry made its world premiere in Bedford last month (30 August), offering a sensory experience unlike anything the Corn Exchange has hosted before.
Created by three Bedford-based musicians, Bjorn Bantock, Hanja Bantock, and Dom Childs, Supernova Spectaculars imagines what live classical performance can be.
Combining scores from blockbuster sci-fi films with laser effects and a translucent holographic screen woven with silver thread, the show immerses audiences in a world of music and light, blurring the lines between orchestra pit and cinema screen.
The production features the London Cinematic Orchestra and some of the UK’s top musicians, including trumpeter Mike Lovatt, whose work has appeared on numerous major film soundtracks.
Yet the spectacle is far removed from a traditional concert, with visuals designed not to distract from the musicians, but to draw the audience into their world.
“We didn’t want to be another orchestra playing in front of a film,” said conductor and co-creator Bjorn Bantock, speaking to me after the show.
“The idea was to bring the audience inside the music. And that’s what the holographic screen does – it wraps the experience around you. The players are still the stars, but now you feel like you’re in there with them.”
The visual content was created by designer Jared Blyth, whose projection work used sci-fi and space-themed motifs to build an atmospheric backdrop that evolved with each score.
From Predator’s heat-vision overlays to glimpses of the Death Star during the Star Wars scores, the creative team delivered nods to fan-favourite films without relying on traditional clips or stills.
“We wanted to make something new,” said Bjorn. “The visuals aren’t just there for decoration; they help tell the emotional story of the music.”
That storytelling is central to Supernova’s structure. Instead of performing short, standalone pieces, the show was built around 15-minute thematic movements.
The first half opened with bold cinematic anthems before shifting into softer, more ambient tracks from WALL-E and Interstellar.
The second half built to a thrilling crescendo of music from Blade Runner, Minority Report, Predator, and Independence Day, before ending with a funk-inspired play-out track that left me yearning for more.
“The show is as much about feeling as it is about listening,” added Bjorn. “Music brings emotion to film – try watching a scene you love with the sound off, and you’ll see how flat it feels. It’s the score that grabs you.”
The Bedford crowd, ranging from lifelong classical fans to first-timers, was swept along in the sensory experience, all with smiles on their faces, whether they recognised the music or not.
It was indeed a spectacle of brilliance, an immersive feast for the senses that raised the bar of how classical music can be performed.
While they performed just two shows in Bedford, the world premiere event is very much just the beginning, as Bjorn told me that a UK tour is already planned for early 2026.
“This was the world premiere, but we want as many people as possible to see it,” he said. “It’s taken over 14 months of work, and I think we’ve created something wholly unique and emotionally powerful.
The dream is for them to take it all the way to the Royal Albert Hall, and based on the response from the audience, I have every confidence they’ll make it.
The reviewer received standard tickets to see the show as part of the review process.
