Dance show Missing set for series of performances in 2014 Edinburgh Festival Fringe

• Kelly Apter
• 29 July 2014

This article is from 2014.

Poignant duet about lives left in limbo inspired by real events performed by Dublin-based CoisCéim Dance Theatre

An average of 8000 people are reported missing in Ireland every year. While the majority are found, those who remain untraced leave behind a sea of heartbreak and unanswered questions.

Dublin-based CoisCéim Dance Theatre is known for its engaging, accessible, yet profound work, and Missing looks set to follow suit.

‘I’m interested in creating dances that are emotional and have a narrative,’ says director, David Bolger. ‘And with Missing, I was looking for a dance vocabulary that would convey the sheer emotion associated with the disappearance of a family member, loved one or friend.

‘But it was also important be true to the subject – to honour the missing and be respectful to the families left behind.’

A male/female duet, featuring movement and text, Missing was in part inspired by a woman from Bolger’s own neighbourhood.

‘Everyday on the way to the studio, I passed a missing person poster taped to a lamppost at the end of my street,’ recalls Bolger. ‘A woman in her mid-30s who had been missing from the Christmas of 2012. As the days and weeks passed I could see her image on the poster fading.

‘It reminded me about the importance of remembering missing people, and how it affects communities on a deeply rooted level.’

Dance Base, 225 5525, 2–24 Aug (not 4, 11, 18), 6pm, £8--£10 (£6--£8). Preview 1 Aug, £8 (£6).