All at Sea review – faked death of ‘canoe man’ inspires waves of intrigue

Live theatre, Newcastle
Fictionalising the true story of John Darwin, Alison Carr’s gripping two-hander follows the unexpected consequences of its antihero’s bid to escape debts

It sounds like a good plan. With credit cards maxed out, Colin Wilson will set off in his canoe and never come back. Once he is presumed dead, his wife, Deborah, will claim the life insurance. Pension and mortgage payouts will follow. Meanwhile, Colin will go into hiding until they can make a fresh start.

Inspired by the true story of “canoe man” John Darwin, Alison Carr’s two-hander looks as though it will head into the sitcom territory of Can You Keep a Secret? Like that BBC comedy, in which Mark Heap does a bad job at hiding, All at Sea considers the hurdles of staying out of sight. Where to go if someone comes around? What if the phone rings and you accidentally answer? How to stay sane?

At Live theatre, Newcastle, until 10 October and at Stephen Joseph theatre, Scarborough, 16–31 October

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Source: Guardian Culture