Vanishing Point Biography

Vanishing Point was formed in 1999 with the principle aim of telling wonderful stories. In order to take our audiences on adventures into strange and beautiful landscapes, we wanted to make theatre that focussed on the live event, to create an experience that was both visceral and entertaining.

Our first production was an adaptation of Maurice Maeterlinck’s play, The Sightless. Tired of seeing plays that could just as easily have been on television, we decided to abandon the visual aspect altogether: to perform the play in complete darkness. The audience were led hand in hand into a completely pitch black space. Around them - in three dimensions - sounds, words, smells and atmosphere were conjured to tell the thrilling story of a group of blind people lost and apparently stranded in a strange wilderness by someone else’s design.

Since then our work has developed as we continue on our own adventure. What remains constant is a commitment to tell remarkable stories, to enter worlds unlike our own and to collaborate with artists from many disciplines and cultures. We combine the discipline of work with the freedom of play in the firm belief that one leads to the other. Consequently we treat our rehearsal room as a playground, but a playground with rules, routines, and where an ethos of hard graft is instilled.

We work as a team throughout, led by Artistic Director Matthew Lenton. Artistic Associates include performer Sandy Grierson, designer Kai Fischer, Composer and musician Alasdair Macrae.

Our stories may be invented, taken from life, literature or memory. In any case, our work begins with the stories, which themselves shape the theatrical form.

Vanishing Point is funded regularly by the Scottish Arts Council and Glasgow City Council. We have funding relationships with The British Council, SAC Lottery. We have relationships with many promoters across the UK and internationally.