Shining a light on those left behind
AT Touchstones in Rochdale this Friday, June 15, a live performance of The Man on the Moor will be staged at 7.30pm.
The mysterious case of an elderly man found dead on Saddleworth Moor near Oldham, Greater Manchester, in 2015 after suspected poisoning forms the backdrop for this new play about people who disappear and the impact on those they leave behind.
Written and performed by Max Dickins, this monologue drama recalls how the body of a man was found on Saddleworth Moor in the winter of 2015 with no identification whatsoever.
Train tickets found in the dead man’s pockets showed he had travelled 200 miles from London to Manchester and then Saddleworth.
However, there were no clues to his identity or why he had travelled to the remote moors above Dovestone Reservoir in the depths of winter.
Investigators later found the man had links to London and Pakistan, but many key questions remained unanswered, including why he went to Saddleworth Moor to apparently poison himself.
As the police investigation went public, with an artist’s impression of the man’s image circulated, 40 different people reached out to claim ‘the man on the moor’ as their missing husband, father or brother.
It is those people, described in the play as the ‘left behind’, who have to pick up the pieces when someone they love leaves home and never comes back.
The play is touring the UK this spring. Speaking ahead of the Rochdale performance, director Max said: ‘This man’s identity remained unknown for a very long time.
“It’s a gripping and sometimes bizarre story. How does that happen in the modern world?
“How do people just disappear into the ether?
“This is a story about missing people. Every year, 250,000 people go missing and 2,000 go missing and never return.
“This play explores the issues and asks how does this happen and why?
“It’s an intriguing tale that will really pull you along.
“I can’t wait to share it with people at Touchstones.”
See The Man on the Moor at Touchstones, The Esplanade, Rochdale, from 7.30pm to 8.30pm on Friday, June 15. Tickets cost £6. Call 01706 924928 or visit link4life.org/ centres/touchstonesrochdale.