We Lost It

In the UK, documentary theatre is the boom stage phenomenon of the age. So too in the States, where New York troupe The Civilians have given the genre a musical revue spin. Their second show, 'Gone Missing', which visits London from this week, derives from interviews with members of the public about titems they've lost and found. 'We were interested in the mechanics of loss,' says writer/dcirector Steven Cosson. 'We wanted to explore the stories we tell ourselves and others about loss and absence.' The company have added their own songs and sketches on the theme, but the core of the show remains the true-life stories culled from real New Yorkers. Or approximations thereof. 'Even though we work from reality,' says Cosson, 'we believe trepresentation is inherently subjective.' The company's interviews with the public aren't recorded, merely recalled. 'We don't necessarily claim to be telling the truth.'