#morna pearson

[traversetheatre]

How to Disappear - Production Photos

Step inside the world of How to Disappear - a new play from the inimitable Morna Pearson which merges pitch-black comedy and biting social commentary in a one-of-a-kind production which will take you to some very unexpected places.

How to Disappear Until 23 Dec Book now

[traversetheatre]

How to Disappear - In Rehearsals

Merging fantastical elements with dark humour, gritty drama and biting social commentary, How to Disappear tells an unexpected, yet deeply important story of the personal consequences of austerity culture.

Winner of the Catherine Johnson Award for ‘Best Play’, How to Disappear is a vital story about hope, loss and what lies far beyond the physical world in front of us.

Fri 8 – Sat 23 Dec Find out more and BOOK NOW.

Photos: Beth Chalmers

[traversetheatre]

10 Questions: Morna Pearson

Morna Pearson is an Edinburgh-based writer originally from Elgin, Moray. She is an artistic associate of the Traverse Theatre and a mentor for Playwrights’ Studio Scotland. How to Disappear, the play written while on the Channel 4 Playwrights’ Scheme, won the Catherine Johnson Best Play Award in 2016.

Here, she shares her inspiration for writing How to Disappear and how she would spend a day with a character from one of her plays...

1. What was your inspiration for creating How to Disappear?

The character of Robert was inspired by my experience of trichotillomania and the story was inspired by the Government’s reassessment of benefit claimants and overhaul of the benefits system. However, I’ve taken these inspirations and pushed them to extremes.

2. Do you have a favourite line or moment in the play?

Either the opening stage direction of ‘Robert is floating outwith space and time’ as I’ve enjoyed watching Gareth interpret that one, or the character Jessica’s line ‘I like a laugh as much as the next civil servant but…’

3. If you could spend a day with a character from one of your plays, who would it be and what would you do together?

I’d have to pick two; Jamie from Distracted and Isla from How to Disappear. I’d take them to Landmark Forest Adventure Park in Carrbridge.

(How to Disappear in rehearsals. Photo: Beth Chalmers)

4. Can you tell us about your writing environment?

I write from a desk in my living room, surrounded by two cats, a radio and many books and plays I should’ve read but haven’t.

5. Can you tell us about the first play you ever wrote?

I forget the title, but it was a silly and morbid story of a group of school friends from the age of 5 to 25. It was influenced by one of the first new writing productions I had ever seen; Liz Lochhead’s Britannia Rules at Lyceum. The adult actors playing children and the oversized furniture expanded my understanding of what was possible on the stage.

6. Going on from that, what advice would you give to your younger writing self?

Do more planning and outlining, it might be boring but it pays off in the long run. Write what you want to see. There’s room for a lot of different voices; trust yours. Don’t rush; choose quality over quantity.

7. What kind of research did you do before writing this play?

The Work Capability Assessment, the TV show Neighbours and tarantulas were the main things I researched.

(How to Disappear in rehearsals. Photo: Beth Chalmers)

8. How do you want audiences to feel having watched How to Disappear?

At the very least, I’d like them to feel entertained. If it happens to provoke thought about the privileges we are born into and what kind of society we want to live in, that would be good too!

9. Do you have a play that most influenced your life, or decision to become a playwright?

A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. Not having great access to theatre growing up, I tended to watch films, so I became mesmerised by the film adaptation before reading it or seeing it on stage. I was always interested in drama, however being too shy to act, I had been thinking about studying stage management or make-up, but it was the beauty and heartache of Streetcar that eventually inspired me to pursue playwriting.

10. Finally, what three words would you use to describe How to Disappear?

Dark, magical, hopeful.

How to Disappear Fri 8 – Sat 23 Dec Find out more and BOOK NOW.

[traversetheatre]

Here it is, the brilliantly fun trailer from the lovely bunch that is Village Pub Theatre. And, as of this morning, officially loved by David Leddy of Fire Exit. Now that's some stamp of approval, right there.