That Is Not Who I Am: a play that divided opinion from the outset
The Royal Court’s latest production is ‘brilliantly tricksy’
The Royal Court’s latest production managed to divide opinion before it even opened, said Dave Fargnoli in The Stage. Back in April, That Is Not Who I Am was announced as a thriller about identity theft, “in which nothing is as it seems”, written by “Dave Davidson”, a first-time playwright who’d worked in the security industry for decades, and who refused to share any photos of himself, for security reasons.
Naturally, this prompted a torrent of speculation, with many suspecting that Davidson did not exist, and that the actual playwright would prove to be an established author. But while some saw this as a clever marketing ploy, others were enraged by what they took to be a “smug joke at the expense of emerging artists who already feel locked out from the industry”.
In the event, said Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph, the big reveal comes at the start. We are told the play is actually called Rapture, and that it’s by the award-winning playwright Lucy Kirkwood.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
An actress playing Kirkwood (Priyanga Burford) explains that the subterfuge was required to protect her while she researched her play, about a young couple – NHS nurse Celeste (Siena Kelly) and Noah, a former soldier (Jake Davies) – who became advocates for various conspiracy theories, about climate change, Big Tech and so on, before dying in mysterious circumstances.
Rapture asks valid questions “about how power can be held to account if the powerless can be easily discredited, legitimate grains of truth lost amid piled-on supposition”; but it’s ultimately too “self-involved and woolly to hit home hard”, while the “meta-theatrical ending” is just embarrassing.
On the contrary, this is a play that delights in the way theatre is made, and I found it “brilliantly tricksy”, said Kate Wyver in The Guardian. We see the couple’s paranoia slowly intensifying, and a “relentless urgency builds as they become entangled in anti-democracy movements”. Beautifully acted, Rapture is “a thriller, a trickster and an absolute romp”.
Royal Court Theatre, London SW1 (020-7565 5000). Until 16 July.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Duchess of Gloucester: the hard-working royal you've never heard of
Under The Radar Outer royal 'never expected' to do duties but has stepped up to the plate
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Are 'judge shopping' rules a blow to Republicans?
Today's Big Question How the abortion pill case got to the Supreme Court
By Joel Mathis, The Week US Published
-
Climate change is driving Indian women to choose sterilization
under the radar Faced with losing their jobs, they are making a life-altering decision
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
The Westbury Hotel review: stunning suites in charming Dublin
The Week Recommends This hotel is the perfect spot to while away a weekend in Ireland's capital
By Kaye O'Doherty Published
-
Drama movies 2024: new films out this year
In Depth Latest reviews include The Boys in the Boat, One Life and Tchaikovsky's Wife
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Best new hotels and places to stay in 2024
The Week Recommends Featuring stylish island resorts, historical properties and wilderness retreats
By The Week UK Last updated
-
Albums of the year: best music of 2023
The Week Recommends A look back at the best pop, rap, jazz, dance, classical and rock releases
By The Week UK Published
-
Savoy Grill by Gordon Ramsay review: an institution reinvented
The Week Recommends Traditions are maintained and the tweaks are clever and modern
By Neil Davey Published
-
Tulum: a Mexican beach town of 'two halves'
The Week Recommends With the 'pueblo' and 'Zona Hotelera', Tulum is home to great hotels, restaurants and beach clubs
By William Leigh Published
-
La Zebra review: beach chic, perfect tacos and secret cenotes
The Week Recommends Enjoy a stylish stay in Mexico at this family-friendly beach hotel and restaurant
By William Leigh Published
-
Atlantis Paradise Island Bahamas review: a mythical beachside resort
The Week Recommends Combine the classically simple pleasures of sun, sea and sand with upmarket fun and food
By Adrienne Wyper Published