Review: How To Disappear Completely @ New Continental

26th, November 2009 by

Screaming Theatre rehearsalPreston’s Screaming Theatre group put on a great performance of Fin Kennedy’s ‘How To Disappear Completely and Never Be Found’ on Thursday 26th November 2009.

The play is a look at the pressures of modern big city life and explores how many people just want to get away from it, and in the case of Charlie Hunt (Graham Eaglesham) he really does.

He’s a coke-snorting, working-all-hours, marketing guru but all is not well inside. He’s driven by his career and realises that he’s on a downward spiral. His friends can’t help him, he’s getting into trouble at work and eventually loses it big time.

Eaglesham gives a good performance as Charlie and his monologues really capture the angst that many young men feel as they realise their career is eating away at all the dreams they once held – and they are left as nothing but an empty shell.

Charlie travels to Southend after being caught out by his company for embezzlement and so begins his transformation into Adam Westbury. He meets Mike (Tarquin Scott) and learns how you can construct a new identity for yourself, a new birth certificate, a new passport and a new drivers licence.

One of the funniest bits of a rather somber play is when Mike explains how to get these different documents and how to cheat the bureaucratic system. Scott is a great actor and he switched between many parts with ease, from the chancer Mike to the stern boss of Robert.

Bit-parts throughout the play were played by Lukas Bennett, Natalie Corless and Allison Lees but the highlights of the play were definitely when Mike and Charlie (Adam) were on stage together, they had great chemistry.

The play finishes in a rather morbid end but highlights the tragedy of the 30,000 people who decide to walk out on their current life every year in the UK and go missing.

How To Disappear Completely and Never Be Found continues at the New Continental on Friday 27th November 2009 from 8 PM and on Wednesday 2nd December 2009 at The Gregson Community and Arts Centre, 33 Moorgate, Moor Lane.

  • http://www.conceptuamarketing.com Guy Flintham

    I’ve now seen half a dozen productions by Screaming Theatre and although I thought “Hitchcock Blonde” from a year or two back was excellent, this topped it. Superb production. I thought the cast were fantastic. Graham and Tarquin were excellent, and very well supported by the cast. A stand out for me was Lukas Bennett’s cameos as Charlie’s brash ad exec colleague. Well done to everyone involved.

  • Hilary

    Can’t wait to see this play at Lancaster next week. The Gregson Community Centre is easy to find in the city centre and I hope the locals turn out to see how good Screaming Theatre really are.

    I heard there may be one final performance of ‘How to ….’ for a specially chosen audience at a private address in Preston town centre. I’d love to be invited! I could think of a few others who’d love to be selected if it goes ahead.

    Break-a-leg to all, for the Lancaster performance. HJP xxx

  • Dawn LX

    Thanks to everyone for the great comments, we’ve really enjoyed putting on this production. As for a “final performance”, I’m afraid Lancaster was it for HTDC, but we’re really glad that it was as it went really well and would like to thank the Gregson Centre for all of their assistance and support, as well as the Continental guys. We start work on the next production in January if anyone else fancies getting involved. http://www.freewebs.com/screamingtheatre