HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY AND NEVER BE FOUND. To 14 April.

Sheffield

HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY AND NEVER BE FOUND
by Fin Kennedy

Crucible Studio To 14 April 2007
Tue-Sat 7.45pm Mat 14 April 3pm
Runs 2hr 20min One interval

TICKETS: 011`4 249 6000
www.shefdfdieldtheatres.co.uk
Review: Timothy Ramsden 5 April

Invigorating matter of life and death.
Fin Kennedy’s play nearly did what it says in the title and disappeared without trace. The first of 38 John Whiting Award winners (named after a playwright who died obscured in the post-1956 rush) not to be performed, it was rescued by Crucible Associate Director Ellie Jones, whose production is alive to the play’s mood and style.

It’s a dark world, opening with announcements of disappearances, which subsequently figure in the action. Ellen Cairns’ design creates a sombre, anonymous space, with watery inflections on the floor, sudden-appearing doors and huge, mortuary-like drawers.

Pathologist Sophie, clearly used to chatting with her corpses as if they were alive, talks to Charlie as if he’s dead. Meanwhile, Charlie’s trying to find himself a new life under the guidance of Mike, a multiple-identity old con, who can’t wait for ID cards to make the new-identity business a one-stop shop.

Kennedy’s play is modern. This is the high-pressure business-life where lunch-times are measure in minutes - the more successful the luncher, the shorter their time - where fraud seems so temptingly easy but discovery in micro-tracked business activity is inevitable., where techniques of disappearing sound simple, but….

Charlie’s also a kind of Peer Gynt. He’s looking for his character and also finds that, wherever he goes, escape is no escape because he takes himself with him. He finds his Solveig in an unlikely place, in an impersonal manner. No-one waits around these days.

Against the increasing turbulence and desperation William Ash gives the central character, there’s the sound of time and the calm announcement of the shipping forecast, measures of the world through which he’s hurtling. Others come and go with mysterious ease as he dashes along the lines of consequence spun by his actions and evasions.

Richard Bremmer’s tall, thin Mike, ever sure-seeming as he is evasive, contrasts Charlie’s self-doubt (mirrors recur in his story), Sian Brooke’s calm confidence is another contrast; both always know better about Charlie than he does himself. Esther Ruth Elliott and Steve Hansell are fine as others who restrict Charlie’s freedom in various ways in this stimulating, zoomalong drama.

Charlie/Adam: William Ash
Mike/Tube Man/Robert: Richard Bremmer
Sophie: Sian Brooke
Doctor/Ellie/Nurse: Esther Ruth Elliott
Eric/Danny/Priest: Steve Hansell

Director: Ellie Jones
Designer: Ellen Cairns
Lighting: Chris Davey
Sound: Nicholas Briggs
Movement: Vik Sivalingam
Assistant director: Catrin Lowe

2007-04-06 17:07:51