Novel haunts

A haunting graphic novel of celebrated artist Paul Nash and his experiences of war will be brought to life on stage in a multimedia performance at Revelation St Marys.

Comic artist Dave McKean breathes life into Black Dog: The Dreams of Paul Nash, which takes the war artist’s powerful work to the next level with live music, visual projection, animated illustrations and narrative storytelling.

Often rules as one of the most important British artists of the 20th century, Paul Nash’s First World War experiences inspired him to create paintings of disturbing, lasting power.

Mr McKean is well known for his cover art for Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series and his other projects include illustrating books by Heston Blumenthal, Ray Bradbury and Stephen King, plus directing three feature films.

An accomplished jazz pianist, Mr McKean performs as narrator and pianist in Black Dog, alongside performer, singer and cellist Matthew Sharp and Clare Haythornthwaite, a violinist and performer.

Mr McKean said: “When I look at Paul Nash’s work, I always feel like I am watching a dream. They feel like looking at the real world through the filter of his imagination.

“So many people lock their experiences of war away, don’t want to talk about it – but artists and writers can put that experience somewhere.

“You can really see that in Paul Nash’s work: his impressions of the people, the landscape and how that