Missing Dan Nolan. Mark Wheeller

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      Dan Nolan - Missing first published by dbda in 2003 (978190284310X); Missing Dan Nolan published by dbda in 2004 (9781902843162); Published in a new edition by Zinc Communicate in 2020 ISBN 978 1 902843 46 9

      This edition first published in 2020 by Salamander Street Ltd., 272 Bath Street, Glasgow, G2 4JR ([email protected])

      Missing Dan Nolan © Mark Wheeller, 2003-2008

      Photograph appears with kind permission of Daniel Nolan’s family.

      All rights reserved.

      All rights whatsoever in this play are strictly reserved and application for performance etc. should be made before rehearsal to MBA Literary Agents Ltd, 62 Grafton Way, London W1T 5DW (attn: Sophie Gorell Barnes). No performance may be given unless a license has been obtained.

      You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or binding or by any means (print, electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

      PB ISBN: 9781913630287

      E ISBN: 9781913630294

      Cover and text design by Konstantinos Vasdekis

      Printed and bound in Great Britain

      10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

      Further copies of this publication can be purchased from www.salamanderstreet.com

      CONTENTS

       Introduction

       Afterword

       Afterword to the 2020 edition

       A Note from Pauline and Greg Nolan

       Missing Dan Nolan

       Reflections of the Original OYT Cast

       A Note on the Original Lighting Design

       Woking Drama Festival 2003 - Adjudication by Paul Fowler

       A Letter from Sarah’s Mum

       Nanny Bett’s Prayer for Daniel

      Acknowledgements

      Pauline, Greg and Clare Nolan; DSI Stewart (Hampshire Police); “Andy”, George, “Jo”, Sarah, “Thom” and their families, for giving me their words and permission to re-tell this story.

      The cast of the Oaklands Youth Theatre production 2002/3.

      Sophie Gorell Barnes and all at MBA for their continued support and belief.

      Thanks to dbda (later known as Zinc Publishing) who originally made this play available to schools when others would not have done so.

      Thanks to George Spender and those in the Salamander Street team for their efforts to extend the reach of my plays.

      My wife, Rachel, and children (Ollie, Charlie & Daisy) for love and support… and tolerance of long working hours.

      Roy Nevitt (Stantonbury Campus) in the early eighties for his inspiration in the use of documentary theatre… “Dig where you stand”.

      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.

      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,