How to Disappear Completely @ Underbelly Cowgate

How to Disappear Completely sees award-winning light designer Itai Erdal unveil the personal story of his mother’s death. In 2000, she was given only nine months to live, as she was diagnosed with lung cancer. An aspiring filmmaker at the time, Erdal documented everything in pictures and on film, with at times moving, funny, and abrasive interviews with various members of the family and close friends.

A talented storyteller, Erdal narrates the personal story with lighting techniques. He makes sure each lighting style suits what he is talking about, and explains why each particular lighting technique fits with each story.

For a man who is supposed to be behind the scenes, Erdal demonstrates strong storytelling skills, drawing his audience in and creating suspense by juxtaposing the events in his mother’s life with those of his craft. Through the simplicity of the story, he showcases the lighting and its importance in the world of theatre, while also underlining the humanity that his mother’s death is shrouded in.