Part 6: Theatre Cryptic: Journeys and Memories
The Glasgow based, international touring company, Theatrewas founded in 1994, by Cathy Boyd. Since then she has created and directed numerous highly original multi-media productions, combining an exciting collage of drama, music, video, sound and visual effects often as part of an international collaboration.
Journeys and Memories is brilliant, innovative, moving and memorable, featuring the string quartet Kuotet, performing live a sequence of compositions against a video backdrop and attractive lighting design. The four musicians, (2 violins, viola and cello) dressed in white trousers and black T-shirts, sit in virtual darkness, perched on illuminated neon boxes in the centre of the stage. The opening piece is entitled Different Trains by the American composer, Steve Reich, who won the 1990 Grammy award for Best Composition. Reich was inspired by the long train journeys he took as a child from New York to Los Angeles between 1939 and 1942. His parents were divorced and now living alternately in each city he travelled with his governess, crossing the huge continental sweep of the United States back and forth. Later, as an adult he realised that if he had been in Europe at the time, as a Jewish boy, the journeys on Different Trains would have presented an alternative, perhaps life threatening experience.
As the opening chords are played, the video begins on the giant screen behind them. First movement - America before the war. The audience views the railway track from the driver's eye, fast and faster, trees, houses, station platforms, signal boxes, flash by. . The fastest train from New York to Los Angeles gathering speed, in and out of tunnels, racing through the flat, open spaces of the countryside.
Second movement, Europe, during the war. The images change from a peaceful landscape to that of Poland in wartime. Through text on screen, a disturbing soundtrack of voices, with an occasional screech of the train, echoed and imitated by the musical accompaniment, we are reminded of the unbearable suffering during the Holocaust of the 2nd World War, the memory of the prisoners, transported by railway cattle trucks to their fate. Third Movement, Europe, after the war and freedom dawns once more. This is a beautifully crafted piece, exquisitely performed, which takes the audience on a musical journey through time and space, sight and sound. Following the railway track and listening to the rhythmic pounding of the train is mesmerising and haunting.
Images of war and the memory of deceased parents is the subject of Doom a Sigh by Budapest composer Istvan Marta. Again with a back projection of family photographs and documentary footage, the piece is based on Romanian folk songs recorded during Marta's visit to a Romanian village thirty years ago.
For the third part of Journeys and Memories, the choral setting for Psalm 50, Miserere by Gregorio Allegri (1582-1652) has been transcribed for string quartet. It was traditionally sung at the Sistine Chapel during Holy Week, but only became famous when 14 year old Mozart heard the piece in 1770, and wrote it out from memory which then introduced it to a wider public. For this piece Kuotet is joined by a solo dancer, Claire Pencak. All dressed in long flowing white gowns, subtle lighting behind the dancer and the slowly moving musicians casts shapes and shadows against the white screen behind them.
The aim behind Theatre Cryptic is to be a visual Theatre of Sound, to present music to be looked at, not just listened to. Together the three sections of Journeys and Memories illustrates director Cathie Body's concept to bring together international artistic talent - artists, actors, designers, film-makers, musicians, composers, dancers - from across Europe and North America. This encourages unusual cultural links and fresh and exciting collaborations.
This commitment to new work has brought Cathie Boyd the distinction of the European Women of Achievement for the Arts award in 1999; she was the only woman in Scotland to be shortlisted for a Prudential Creative Briton, 2000 award. Forthcoming productions include Black Over Red, inspired by Anna Akhmatova's poem. This is a choral work by composer Anthea Haddow, scored for 24 voices and electronic soundscape and will feature film, dance and sculpture. It will be staged in Riga, Madrid and Glasgow from September 2001. Looking ahead to next year, Cathie Boyd has been commissioned to create a new multimedia work inspired from the work of Canadian writer, Elizabeth Smart, renowned for her brilliant love story, "By Grand Central Station, I sat down and Wept". As a co-production with Supermeme, Montreal it will be premiered in May 2002.
Previous pages > Page 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.
Here are some other Web resources on Rampant Scotland relating to the Edinburgh Festival:
• The Edinburgh Festival
• Edinburgh Fringe
• Edinburgh Book Festival
