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Introduction

Written for the first published version of the play (with a few corrections) when it was called Dan Nolan – Missing.

• The National Missing Persons Helpline receives more than 100,000 calls every year!!!

• It helps to resolve 70% of the cases it works on.

• 30% remain tragically unresolved.

These were the shocking statistics that confronted me when I approached a stand surrounded by “Dan Nolan MISSING” posters outside Tesco in April 2002.

I had originally seen posters announcing Dan’s disappearance early in January while walking my dogs. I continued to see them but, as there had been nothing on the television about him, I assumed that he had been found or perhaps he was not missing after all. As I came to realise that he was still missing it seemed apparent to me that society considered Dan’s disappearance to be less important… less serious… or more likely to be resolved quickly than the ones I heard about in the media. I could not understand the situation, so out of curiosity as to how a stall outside Tesco could help, I approached the stall holders to discover that they were trying to raise awareness. They had found it very difficult to get any ongoing media coverage. As a parent (of three) myself, I was shocked.

I put myself in their position… how would I feel if my son or daughter went missing and I was not able to convey this fact to the public at large through the media? I realised, I may be able to help.

To cut a long story short, I offered to write a dramatic reconstruction (also raising any other issues Dan’s story might throw up). I approached four Oaklands Youth Theatre members to become committed to such a project in our own time. It was crucial to get “the show on the road” to help Dan’s parents in their quest for more coverage as soon as possible. First, I had a period of research…

As I came within a mile of the Nolans’ family home in Hamble for my first interview, I couldn’t help but see posters plastered to every one of the thirty or forty trees and lamp posts… the blow-ups of the posters gradually getting bigger. This clearly communicated the impression of a very loving family on a determined, if not desperate, search for a much-loved son.

One of the first things I saw as I went into the Nolans’ house to do my first interview, was “that photo” I’d seen of Dan in the missing posters, in its original school photo style frame… the way it was meant to be seen. It gave that photo, in its original setting, an added poignancy. I remembered my own school photos that I had wanted to hide from other people… and wondered what Dan had thought of this one, little knowing how well known it was destined to become.

Immediately, I realised that the documentary style of writing I had used for Too Much Punch for Judy and Graham was the way I wanted to approach this play. It was crucial to convey the facts and opinions in the way that the people who had experienced this situation first hand phrased it. Consequently, Dan Nolan – Missing uses the words of Daniel’s family, friends (some of whom were with him that night) and the detective in charge of the ongoing investigation, to try and get as close to the truth as memory will allow.

On interviewing the friends who shared that fateful evening with Dan, I was struck by their youth. They were, like I imagine Dan, “normal” fourteen/fifteen-year-old boys.

This tragic story was initially performed by a small group from the Oaklands Youth Theatre who were of a similar age to Daniel Nolan. I believe it can be performed between anyone from the age of fourteen and fifty.

Whoever performs this play must not lose sight of the fact that it tells a true story in the words of those most closely involved. Words must not be changed. Edits should not be made for public performances without permission. Agreement was gained from all parties who contributed to the play on the understanding that this would be the version performed. Even in private showings, any cuts should be made with due sensitivity to the real people from the tragedy.

All performing groups must respect the willingness of the various families to allow their words to be used in the way that they appear in this published text.

I have slightly developed what I wrote in my original introduction for Hard to Swallow. It is equally pertinent for Dan Nolan – Missing.

It must at all times be remembered when reading or performing this play that the events portrayed are as close to the truth as memory will allow. The performers should not impersonate the real-life characters (it is unlikely that they will know them to be able to do so). They should breathe into them a life that is a reasonable interpretation of the words in the script as honestly and truthfully as the performer can manage. Unless specifically instructed to do otherwise for a particular effect, the actors should avoid overstatement and veer towards underplaying. Trust the material. It is, after all, as near as possible the “real” thing.

The other thing to add here is to say that with all my documentary/verbatim plays there are often long speeches. It is crucial that these are not all static. The director should try to be imaginative and animate the scene to keep the visual interest for the audience as high as possible without detracting from the power of the “real” words.

All of us who were involved in the first production of the play have become passionately involved with the subject matter and hope that our efforts and those of other groups who also choose to present this play may help to solve the mystery of Dan’s disappearance.

The school photo of Dan Nolan as used in so many of the posters the family had distributed in their ‘Missing’ campaign.