EDINBURGH 2017: BWW Q&A- The Man On The Moor

Tell us a bit about your show.

It's a gripping one-man play inspired by the incredible true story of The Man on the Moor. On 12th December 2015, a smartly dressed man was found dead on Saddleworth Moor. He was carrying no form of identification. In his pockets was just £130 in cash and return train tickets from London from the previous day. Despite a national media campaign, he remained unidentified. He appeared to have no family, no job, and no home. He didn't even have a name. He was simply known as 'the man on the moor.'

Three questions abounded: Who was this man? Why did he travel 200 miles to die? And why did nobody seem to miss him? After the police went public with the man's image, 40 different people reached out to claim 'the man on the moor' as their missing brother, father, or friend. These people are the left behind. Those who pick up the pieces when someone they love leaves and never comes home again. This show tells their story.

Why bring it to Edinburgh?

Because it's important that this story is told. And it's important this story is told now. The numbers are astounding: every two minutes somebody in the UK disappears. There were more than 200,000 reports of missing people last year alone. 95% of missing people are found within a week. But every year 2,000 people vanish and never return. It is this 1% that the show focusses on. Plus there is one final statistic which is the saddest yet: in 2015, 177 unidentified bodies were found in Britain. These then aren't missing people: to be missing you have to be missed. These are the unmissed. We need to understand how this happens.

What sets it apart from other shows at the Fringe?

I think you'll leave doubting some of your deepest held beliefs about your closest friends and family. It's a provocative show that asks the question, 'Is it ever possible to genuinely know somebody?'

Who would you recommend comes to see your show?

This is a compelling story that will keep the audience gripped in the best traditions of true crime dramas and documentaries. If you love shows like Making a Murderer, you'll love this too. Plus, I'd also recommend it to anyone who's interested or saddened by the issue of missing people and those they leave behind. It's an invisible epidemic and it's about time we talked about it.

Are there any other performances you're hoping to catch at the festival?

I tend not to plan too much before the festival. I'll hear from fellow performers on the ground which shows have got buzz and see as many things I get recommended as possible. I also love taking gambles on things. This, for me, is the spirit of the fringe. You are rarely disappointed, often pleasantly surprised, and always have your mind opened to new ideas. But I were to pick two shows I would say: John Kearns' Don't Worry They're Here (a genius comic) and Rob Auton: The Hair Show (he does funny poems that bridge verse with observational comedy, all delivered with a world-weary oddness.)

Timings and ticket information for The Man On The Moor are available on the edfringe website.

Photo Credit: Martin Hodgkiss