Inspired by one of the biggest TV shows of recent years, Blue Planet II – Live in Concert is set to celebrate the iconic sights and sounds of the acclaimed nature series at Sheffield’s FlyDSA Arena in March. Backed by a giant 4K LED screen and full live orchestra, the concert promises to be an unforgettable experience. We spoke to its host, TV personality Anita Rani, about the magic of Blue Planet and what people can expect from the live show.
Hi Anita, how’s it going?
Very well thanks and yourself?
All good thanks. How excited were you when you first heard about the chance to get involved with Blue Planet II – Live in Concert?
I couldn’t believe it at first. Blue Planet II was such a moment in television history – so many people were moved by that programme. Hopefully everyone will want to come and see the live show too!
Blue Planet was a special kind of TV event, wasn’t it? Families and housemates would get together to watch it on a Sunday night.
Yep, and one that people talked about for the rest of the week – and still talk about!
The series also engaged people with serious environmental issues – particularly plastic pollution, a huge problem right now.
Absolutely. It just goes to show what an impact a TV show can have. It was brilliant for connecting us to our planet and our environment in a way that we’ve not really talked about before. It told us something really important and shifted the mindset of the nation.
What can Blue Planet fans look forward to in the live show?
The TV series itself was already a visual feast for the eyes. But the live show is all about taking some of the most iconic scenes from the series and completely immersing you in them. We’ve got a huge, state-of-the-art LED screen to show the incredible footage; what makes it even more spectacular is that there’ll be an eighty-piece live orchestra playing Hans Zimmer’s original Blue Planet score.
It’ll be incredible to hear that music get the full symphonic treatment. What kinds of things are involved in your role as narrator?
I’ll be coming on at the beginning and in between scenes, setting things up and explaining where we’re going. I won’t be joining the orchestra, unfortunately!
Can you play any instruments? If called upon at the last minute…
No, although I’d love to play the piano. It’s sitting in the house waiting for me to get round to learning.
If you could add one water-themed pop song into the score, what would it be?
Ooh, TLC – ‘Waterfalls’. Or a bit of Stone Roses, ‘Waterfall…’. Hang on, we could have East 17’s ‘Deep’ in there too! I think we’re gonna have to re-score a lot of the show…
I now really want to hear an orchestral rendition of East 17. Do you have a favourite Blue Planet II scene?
I thought the surfing dolphins were amazing. Not only was it beautiful to watch, but I love the fact that no one really knows why they do it – that they might just be having fun. That just makes me love dolphins even more.
Agreed.
Oh, I just remembered the colour-changing cuttlefish too. That was mind-blowing – you aren’t sure if it’s CGI when you watch it.
Some of it really does look like CGI, doesn’t it?
The fact that we have the cameras and technology to capture that footage these days is incredible. I can’t even begin to imagine how powerful it’s going to be at the live concert. It’s going to be a very special, magical experience from the moment people walk in.
The live tour will be stopping off at some huge venues. Looking forward to it?
I’m really excited to bring the show to Sheffield! It’ll be the last date, so we’ll be on a high. Even though we’ll be in an auditorium, hopefully the atmosphere will be a lot more intimate than that. The whole family can come along together and be part of a wonderful community
