The Disappearances Project – Perth Theatre Company

 With a collective hush, the restless audience are quelled by an initial blackout and invariably submerged in the thought-provoking The Disappearances Project. The Perth Theatre Company, in partnership with version 1.0, can only be pleased with their chance to present the second season of this phenomenal and captivating modern artwork.

 Presented by: Perth Theatre Company and version 1.0Venue: Studio Underground, State Theatre Centre of Western Australia 
Tuesday, 26 July, 2011
With a collective hush, the restless audience are quelled by an initial blackout and invariably submerged in the thought-provoking The Disappearances Project. The Perth Theatre Company, in partnership with version 1.0, can only be pleased with their chance to present the second season of this phenomenal and captivating modern artwork.
Ordinary people from every conceivable aspect of life go missing not on a daily but hourly basis. For those not directly affected, to be primarily sympathetic isn’t a big ask. However, continuing to provide support to the broken families remaining is unfortunately a legitimate difficulty. This fact inspires an exploration into the confronting themes of the unknown, isolation, lack of closure, human nature, stages of grieving and the affect on the families of missing persons. 
 Yana Taylor and Irving Gregory command the full and rapt attention of their audience, evoking a strong sense of empathy. Utilising a vast array of perspectives, everything from shattered parents and tortured siblings to lonely friends, the chemical duo weave the reality of unexplained disappearances with eerie ease. The realistic dialogue, while monotone in the replication of an interview, is intensely intimate and breaks the fourth wall convention flawlessly. 
The contrast between live acting and use of a projector is seamless. Sean Bacon’s beautiful cinematography captures the essence of relentless, unresolved searching with passing suburban scenery in the background. This provides movement to the otherwise stationary performance on the minimalistic set and thus doesn’t detract from the performers themselves. While the space in the Studio Underground is both flexible and capacious, it is barely utilised to enhance the tense atmosphere, to no detriment of the play. 
Sparing spotlights on the performers coupled with the ricocheting soundtrack of commonplace noises such as rain, vehicle engines and sporadic keys produce a transfixing and disorienting effect on the audience. Trains of thought are punctuated by powerful silences and subtle changes in the lighting, composed and designed ingeniously by Paul Prestipino and Frank Mainoo respectively.
Exploring contemporary themes similar to Matt Cameron’s Absurdist Ruby Moon, The Disappearances Project is a compelling piece of theatre, unorthodox enough to generate unwavering interest yet believable enough to be deeply relatable. In the final blackout, the fraction of a second’s hesitation before applause signified the audience’s lingering entrenchment before surfacing for breath. There’s no substitute for witnessing genuinely original live theatre; what a privilege!  
Bookings: BOCS Ticketing 9484 1133 or visit www.perththeatre.com.au Tuesday 26 July – Saturday 30 July