The Deliberate Disappearance of My Friend is a chilling experience

The Deliberate Disappearance of My Friend, Jack Hartnett
A Bullet Heart Club production 
Script by Rochelle Bright
Music & Lyrics by Abraham Kunin
Performed by Todd Emerson and a live band
Q Theatre Loft, Auckland
July 24-August 8

From the creative team behind the award-winning Kiwi cabaret Daffodils, Bullet Heart Club returns to Auckland’s Q Theatre this month with a chilling, electronic alt. theatre experience about the hunt for human connection.

The Deliberate Disappearance of My Friend, Jack Hartnett, had a short development showing in the 2015 Auckland Arts Festival and will open for its world premiere season on July 24, starring Westside and Daffodils’ Todd Emerson with a live band. It’s 2am and Oliver is still at the office. His next move depends on Jack.

Jack left work without notice in search of Anja – the woman behind 152 emails sitting in Jack’s inbox. Auckland. Paris. Amsterdam. Zagreb. The echo of Anja’s voice drives Jack’s search. When Oliver is granted online access to Jack’s innermost thoughts, the fragile balance between observer and participant is broken, leading Oliver to commit an irreversible crime.

Bullet Heart Club’s premiere show, Daffodils saw two sold out, award-winning seasons in Auckland before a huge tour of all regional festivals this year. The show has been highly acclaimed by critics and audiences, and continues to tour through the country.

The co-director of Bullet Heart Club, Kitan Petkovski, says, "With Jack Hartnett, we wanted to create something within in our signature style – the coming together of contemporary music, media and stories – yet completely different in tone and genre to Daffodils. As such, the soundtrack is original in its entirety, specifically written for the show, and the story goes to a very different place.”

The Deliberate Disappearance of My Friend, Jack Hartnett, is directed by Conrad Newport, a Wellington-based director with a strong mastery and heritage in staging new New Zealand plays. His command of new scripts has seen Newport direct the world premiere of Dave Armstrong’s Central in the 2015 Wanaka Festival of Colour and the 2013 world premiere of Patrick Evans’ Gifted, among others.

With a script written by 2015 Michael King resident Rochelle Bright (Daffodils) and set to a sonic-avalanche of a score by Abraham Kunin (Esther Stephens & The Means, Coach, Junelle), Jack Hartnett is performed by Westside’s Todd Emerson and a live band comprising Kunin, Leon Radojkovic (Brel, Live, Live Cinema) and Alex Freer, who will tour with Tiny Ruins and Bic Runga later this year.