Hungary. April 1999. NATO is bombing Kosovo and Serbia. Robert Lee, a young American researcher, is travelling through Eastern Europe. In Budapest he enrols in a language school and becomes obsessed with Anna, his language teacher. They embark on a passionate sexual relationship. When he goes to visit her home town of Szeged, close to the Serbian border, he is drawn into a dangerous and terrifying underworld in which he is forced to confront the other men in Anna's life: James, an English art dealer, and Milan, a Serb with scores to settle and deals to close.
Sexual obsession, political intrigue and shifting identities lead to an eruption of brutal violence - which forces Robert to confront aspects of his own identity that he would rather ignore. The sound of NATO Chinooks echoes through the night. A black male prostitute and an icon of a Black Madonna go about their strange business. Who is watching? Who is waiting?
Double Tongue was commissioned with an Arts Council New Writing Award and was originally presented as part of the European Year of Languages 2001 at the Old Red Lion, London. Presented by Border Crossings in association with the Hungarian Cultural Centre. Video material available on request.
The international cast includes Hungarian actress Krisztina Erdelyi, Serbo-Croat actor Serge Soric, and Arnie Hewitt in the dual role of B and the Black Madonna. Double Tongue is directed by Border Crossings' award-winning artistic director Michael Walling, and designed by Japanese artist Kimie Nakano.
Brian Woolland's previous work for theatre includes “Getting Over You” (Etcetera Theatre 1995, revived in Hungary 1996), “Treason's Peace”, and a trilogy of plays for Spiral Theatre Company written in more than one European language: “Away Games” (150+ performances in Southampton, Liverpool, France and Germany), “Perpetual Motion” and “Streetwise in Paradise” (Southampton, France and Spain).
- detailed reviews and photographs -
- Brian Woolland discusses the play with Roshni Mooneeram -
- Speaking Fair Before Folk and Wickedly Behind: The Border Crossings production of Double Tongue by Teresa Murjas -
- Click here to buy the text of Double Tongue-
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Autumn Tour
2002 |
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Funded by the Arts
Council of England and the Hungarian Ministry of Culture |
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September 17th |
Szeged |
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September 18th |
Debrecen |
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September 20-21 |
Budapest |
Thalia Szinhaz |
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September 26th |
Worcester |
University College |
01905 855 278 |
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September 27th
& 28th |
Oxford |
Pegasus Theatre |
01865 722 851 |
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October 2nd |
Hexham |
Queen's Hall |
01434 652 477 |
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October 3rd |
Manchester |
The Green Room |
0161 615 0500 |
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October 4th |
Bridgwater |
Arts Centre |
01278 422 700 |
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October 5th |
Great Torrington |
The Plough |
01805 624 624 |
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October 8th |
Margate |
Theatre Royal |
01843 293 877 |
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October 10th |
Barnet |
The Bull |
0208 449 0048 |
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October 11th |
Wellingborough |
The Castle |
01933 270 007 |
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October 15th |
Winchester |
King Alfred's
College |
01962 627 492 |
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October 16th |
Reading |
Myra McCulloch
Theatre |
0118 931 8878 |
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October 19th |
Chelmsford |
Chancellor Hall |
01245 606 505 |
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October 21st |
Crawley |
The Hawth |
01293 553 636 |
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October 22nd-26th* |
London E15 |
Stratford Circus |
020 8279 1000 |
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October 30th |
Stafford |
Gatehouse Studio |
01785 254 653 |
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October 31st |
Stamford |
Arts Centre |
01780 763203 |
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November 1st |
Birmingham |
MAC |
0121 440 3838 |
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November 2nd |
Bedford |
Bowen West Theatre |
01234 219 333 |
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* Post show
discussion October 24th |
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For access details
and other information for people with disabilities, please contact the
relevant Box Office |
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