CROWHURST

The last voyage of donald Crowhurst

Crowhurst (1983) was a verse play/dance drama based on the last voyage of Donald Crowhurst, who sailed from Teignmouth. It featured an extended conversation between Crowhurst (played by writer Mark Beeson) and a porpoise (played by dancer and actor Oona Beeson). The third member of the cast was the figure of St Urith, who delivered the epilogue (played by Sarah Almy), and music was provided on the flute by Jonny Nance. The play was performed twice on the same day in Easdon Farm Barn in the summer of 1983. The performance was attended by playwright and community theatre pioneer Ann Jellicoe, whose car got stuck in the mud of the car-park. Other members of the audience that day included playwright Stephen Lowe, academic Peter Thomson and Goliards director Mary Morton.

Composer Gerard McBurney provided the theme music for the play. The programme and the flyer were printed on an Adana hand printing press in Bodoni and Gill Sans fonts. Crowhurst was Mark Beeson’s first attempt at a dance drama involving dialogue, dance and music.