The Comprehensive A-Z of Missing Persons by Grace Chow is a haunting and poignant production by the WA Youth Theatre Company. Each year around 55,000 people go missing, the majority of who are youth. While many are found, a significant number are not, and that’s what this performance is about – the unresolved disappearances and the devastating impact they leave behind.
Chow spent several years speaking with police, mental health workers and the Missing Persons Australia community, gaining insight into missing persons. The play explores the concept of ambiguous loss, a unique form of trauma and grief experienced by the families and friends of the missing. The story weaves the names of long-term missing Australians through the journey of Em Wells, a young radio host whose life is affected by having a missing loved one.
Under the direction of Artistic Director Amelia Burke, the cast delivers beautiful performances using a mix of physical theatre, verbatim storytelling and multimedia. Additionally, the haunting atmosphere of the Liberty Theatre, with its aged walls and open spaces, becomes integral to the narrative.
This production is both funny and devastating, as it urges the audience to reflect on the shared responsibility of helping find the missing. I was left with a feeling of discomfort as I walked away. Thinking about the names of missing people flashed across the theatre throughout the performance, I wondered who they were and what their story would be. Then I felt fear, realising how this must feel to someone whose life is affected by a missing person. You wouldn’t wish that on anyone.
The Comprehensive A-Z of Missing Person’s is on until 30th November , playing at The Liberty Theatre, Barrack Street, Perth. Purchase tickets here.