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How To Disappear Completely And Never Be Found
Presented
by:
Hoy Polloy
Theatre Company.
Date Reviewed:
Friday
23rd May 2008
Venue:
Mechanics Institute Performing Arts Centre
Reviewer:
Emmalee Bell
L-R: Helen Hopkins, David Passmore, Glen Hancox and Michael F Cahill
Photo courtesy of Tim Williamson
“What makes you who you are? A name? A random collection of
experiences, a few memories? You are who you can prove you are.
You are what people think and that’s the easiest thing in the world
to change.”
How to Disappear Completely and Never Be Found
was written by British playwright, Fin Kennedy after being
captivated by a visit to the website of the National Missing
Person’s Helpline. Kenney’s fascination with the topic is evident in
this intriguing black comedy, drawing the audience into the
mysterious and turbulent world of the missing person.
Charlie (David Passmore) is a stressed out advertising executive on
the verge of burn out. His mother has just died, he's on the run
from his drug dealer and his boss has uncovered some creative
accounting that he's been indulging in. He's also being haunted by
visions of meetings with Sophie (Tory Rodd), a pathologist who
claims she is investigating his death. His solution is to disappear
completely and start life all over again with a new identity.
David Passmore rises brilliantly to the challenging role of Charlie.
Onstage for almost the entire duration of the play, David perfectly
embodies Charlie's journey from arrogant city worker at the start to
the bewildered, crushed soul at the play's end.
Michael F Cahill, Glen Hancox and Helen Hopkins show great
versatility playing a number of different characters throughout the
play. Tory Rodd is effective as the pathologist, Sophie, although
the character has little opportunity to develop throughout the play
and is lumped with an awkward moment of exposition in the play’s
final moments. There was some hesitancy and slip-ups in the delivery
of dialogue on the opening night, which will hopefully resolve as
the cast settles into the season.
Paul King was exceptionally creative in his direction, crafting
multiple slick changes of scene using just a steel bench, filing
cabinet, toilet and a few chairs. The edgy, fast moving and surreal
nature of the play made it feel to me like a Tarantino film, at
times confusing, but ultimately entertaining to watch.
Hoy Polloy Theatre Company should be commended for choosing a
production that is more than mere entertainment, but a comment on
the times in which we live. While using missing persons as the
premise, How to Disappear Completely and Never be Found is
really about the complexities of life in the 21st century
and it therefore has a profound resonance with the audience.
Emmalee’s passion for musical theatre developed in Warrnambool where
she was in 18 productions before her 21st birthday.
While completing an Arts Management degree at WAPPA, she performed
in Les Miserables and the King and I at the Regent Theatre.
Since moving to Melbourne in 2005, Emmalee performed in a concert
production of Ragtime with Monash University Choral Society,
played the Bakers Wife in Into the Woods (MD Productions), played
Maria in The Sound of Music (Altona City Theatre), went incognito
as a pit singer in Cats (CLOC), played Frauline Kost in Cabaret
(ARC) and was in last year’s production of The Producers with
Whitehorse Musical Theatre.
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