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Dateline: 29th January, 2004

Theatre Cryptic Spring Tour

Theatre Cryptic present
Tunnel Visions
A tale of paranoia, devotion and dependency
Spring Tour 2004 : 17th to 26th March

Scotland's leading music theatre company, Theatre Cryptic, begin their 10th anniversary year with the spring tour of a new production, Tunnel Visions, a tale of paranoia, devotion and dependency which premieres at The Tron Theatre, Glasgow on Wednesday 10 March 2004 and visits The Byre Theatre, St
Andrews, The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen and The Traverse, Edinburgh.

Inspired by the true story of Homer and Langley Collyer, two eccentric reclusive brothers who lived in Harlem, New York, in the 1940s, Tunnel Visions explores their isolated and obsessive lives and deaths, which dominated headlines in the New York Times for many weeks. Over 18 years Langley, an inventor, dedicated his life to curing his brother's illness by feeding him one hundred oranges a week, only leaving the house at night for fear of human contact; barricading it with 134 tons of junk.

Composer Anthea Haddow said "My immediate pull to this story is the unveiling of the special fantastical world created by two brothers in isolation. I like the idea that due to his blindness Homer lives his life through a series of imaginary dreams and fantasies, his senses heightened by his inability to see.

"The pivotal core for me hinges on the fact that complete dependency on one individual has fatal implications for the other".

With the incorporation of live music, visuals, electronics and video, Tunnel Visions tells the fascinating tale of a world in which there are greater things to lose in life, than sight.

Composed by Anthea Haddow, scored for tenor, violin, piano, electronics and actor, the story of the brother's devotion and dependency, is brought to life through live music with visuals by Axel Morgenthaler of Photonicdreams, Montreal. Directed by Cathie Boyd, with a Libretto by Adrian Osmond.

"When Homer first lost his sight, he used to see visions of beautiful buildings, always in red. He would describe them to me and I would try to paint them just as he directed. Someday, when Homer regains his sight, I will show the paintings to him." (Langley Collyer)

The work was developed in residency at The Tron Theatre in Glasgow and The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen.

Theatre Cryptic is an award-winning performing arts company, committed to creating multidisciplinary projects through international artistic collaborations, with a view to 'ravishing the senses'. At the centre of each Theatre Cryptic production is the staging of commissioned music combining voice, visuals, movement and text to create a multi-layered experience.

To maintain quality, Theatre Cryptic creates one new work per year. Performing on an international platform since its formation in 1994, Artistic Director, Cathie Boyd, and Composer, Anthea Haddow, have taken the company to the forefront of new artistic developments.

International co-productions have taken the company to Canada, Hungary, Ireland and Latvia. In partnership with the British Council, Theatre Cryptic has performed at festivals across Europe and the Americas, including the International Fundateneo Festival (Venezuela), the Iberoamericano Festival (Colombia) and BITE at the Barbican Centre, London.

Tour Dates

The Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Tuesday 9th March- Saturday 13th March 8pm
Box Office 0141 552 1404

The Byre Theatre, St Andrews
Tuesday 16th March 8pm
Box Office 01334 475000

The Lemon Tree, Aberdeen
Thursday 18th and Friday 19th March 7:30pm
Box Office 01224 642230

The Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh
Thursday 25th and Friday 26th March 8pm
Box Office 0131 228 3223

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©Peter Lathan 2004