That is Not Who I Am is at the Royal Court Theatre, Jun 10-Jul 16. Enter your password to log in. Speculation as to Dave Davidsons real identity has set the theatre internet aflame one plucky soul even went down the Court and started asking staff who he was but so far it doesnt seem like anybody knows. In the second, entitled Jake Davies and Siena Kelly discuss Dave Davidsons slippery thriller, the other two cast members chat about the play but seem extremely confused about what theyre actually allowed to say about it. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. By clicking Accept All, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Or do they? We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. I've been following a bit on Twitter. I saw a spoiler on Wikipedia about who it is but otherwise don't know much about the show, or the response to the stunt in general. Written by Dave Davidson, a big reveal comes at the start of this production. Celeste (Siena Kelly), meanwhile, is equally conspiratorial as an NHS nurse who indulges in medical myths and claims chalk lines from planes give people dementia. Who is the person really doing and saying these awful things? Do either of these videos clear anything up? They flirt, tease, and discuss conspiracy theories, before deciding to skip out on the bill. Showcall.Online - the premier website for theatre lovers. Commenting on this news, playwright Dennis Kelly said:Dave Davidson is quite simply the best playwright that this country has never produced. Ad revenue is Time Outs main source of income. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. (LogOut/ To enjoy unlimited access to Culture Whisper sign up for FREE. Fascinating play, shame about the backfiring marketing strategy. 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 climatechange, Big Tech and so on, before dying in mysterious circumstances. The show simply has to be seen to be believed. Not a UK member so I had to look this up. Do the cast of his play even know? Still, I had to check to see if Noah and Celeste existed or were inspired by real people (couldnt find anything online. We may not be able to match our ambitions', Shakespeare North Playhouse: how Merseysides 30m venue could open up new horizons for locals, Laurie Davidson: I want to do Shakespeare I like the challenge of making his poetry accessible, Regents Park Open Air Theatre: still a breath of fresh air at 90, Dance teachers' convention to focus on mental health care, Staged director Simon Evans: 'I gave Judi Dench a note and she took it I can retire happy', 'Russian roulette': ACE transfer scheme puts London-based touring companies at risk, Theatre videographer Ben Hewis among alleged stalking victims of Alex Belfield, New production of 42nd Street returns to London next year ahead of UK tour, Ian McKellen announces second round of 25k grants for producers, This is your official warning tungsten lighting is heading for extinction, Cinema release of Jodie Comer's Prima Facie breaks 2m mark at box office. Its all been made up. By clicking Sign up you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. Weird marketing ploys aside, this play on the ambiguity of truth is pleasingly hard to pin down. Even on the dark web. Aslippery new thrillerin which nothing is as it seems and nobody is who they are. The Sea, The Sea named after Iris Murdoch's Booker-winning novel brings stylish seafood to Chelseas Pavilion Road, with a fishmonger and deli by day, restaurant and champagne bar by night. Researching on the web, there is no trace of them. Disclaimer: I was invited to watch That Is Not Who I Am for free in exchange for a review of the performance as a member of the press. Did the real him ever exist in the first place? Book tickets at https://royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/that-is-not-who-i-am/, NOT F**KIN SORRY Will Play Various Venues This September, Full Cast Announced For THE CRUCIBLE At The National Theatre As Rehearsals Begin, THE FABULIST FOX SISTER A Musical Lie Will Appear At London's Crazy Coqs For One Night Only, Full Cast Announced For Kiln Theatre's Revival of Moira Buffini's HANDBAGGED, Carrie Hope Fletcher to Join SLEEPING BEAUTY Pantomime, Amy Di Bartolemeo, Jacob Young, Dale Evans, Erin Caldwell, and Glain Rhys Head Two-Week Workshop Of FOR TONIGHT, New Diorama Theatre Announces a New Season of No Shows, Netflix Sues Co-Authors Of THE UNAUTHORIZED BRIDGERTON MUSICAL, Show Of The Week: Save up to 31% on SISTER ACT: THE MUSICAL, Tickets From 15 For MUSICALS BY CANDLELIGHT, VIDEO: First Look at MOTHER GOOSE at Hackney Empire, Video: Andrew Lloyd Webber and Jim Steinman's WHISTLE DOWN THE WIND Returns at The Watermill Theatre, VIDEO: The Cast of SOUTH PACIFIC Sings a Medley at The Ivy, VIDEO: First Listen to 'Baby Baby Baby' From BABIES the Musical, VIDEO: COMPANY on Broadway Takes Final Bows, VIDEO: Watch Beanie Feldstein Take Her Emotional Final Curtain Call in FUNNY GIRL, VIDEO: Witherspoon Shares Message with The Muny's LEGALLY BLONDE, VIDEO: Paulo Szot and Melanie La Barrie Are Shaking Up Shakespeare in & JULIET, VIDEO: Ms. Guidance- Episode 5 | How to Succeed in Jenny Without Really Trying. We use cookies so we can provide you with the best online experience. It is a play that defines this country as it blinks its way out of the pandemic and into a chilling new world. All you need to know about everything that matters. People don't like being lied to. We uncover the best of the city and put it all in an email for you. Theatre; theory, design, news and community. It's described as a "slippery new thriller in which nothing is as it seems and nobody is who they are". You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Look no further than the reading list actors were reportedly tasked with looking at during rehearsals, featuring Tony Blairs chocolate sponge recipe and an adult colouring book of Meghan Markle. You can opt-out at any time by signing in to your account to manage your preferences. Royal Court, to July 16, royalcourttheatre.com. But everyone is right that it was quite clear from the start and not a cynical deception. Noah (Jake Davies) is a politically homeless eco-warrior who is trying and failing to find his tribe by decrying Western democracy but condemning the alt-right. In the meantime, weve got a couple of behind the scenes videos to share with you. She implores us, the audience, to trust her as she goes through the evidence of the case with no agenda, before making witty remarks about the evidence she has compiled, branding Noah a narcissist and disclosing she is a card-carrying feminist. Sign up for exclusive newsletters, comment on stories, enter competitions and attend events. The Royal Court will give a premiere to a new playwright, Dave Davidson, in the Jerwood Theatre Downstairs this summer. Actress Priyanga Burford appears to tell us shes playing Lucy Kirkwood and that the first of many inconsistencies in the couples story is that they paid up, but came to believe their own myth that theyd done a runner. It will run from 16 June to 16 July 2022 (with previews from 10 June), directed by Royal Court associate Lucy Morrison. Learn how your comment data is processed. You must be at least 18 years old to create an account, Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number, I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from Evening Standard. Its conspicuous that at no point do they say the playwrights name. So who are the Quilters, then? Rumours immediately abounded that Dave was Kelly, Stephens, or another established author, with young or unproduced playwrights particularly aggrieved. Support Time Out directly today and help us champion the people and places which make the city tick. By signing up you are confirming you are 16 or over. Royal Court Theatre, London SW1 (020-7565 5000). Festivals like Glastonbury arent about music, theyre about friendship. Strong preference for articles and links from third party outlets. An equally abstract play about conspiracy theories only expands upon this idea, interrogating what we choose to adopt and accept as reality, and what exactly that looks like in our post-truth world. 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. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Jake Davies as Noah and Siena Kelly as Celeste are terrifically cast. Meanwhile, Naomi Dawsons inventive set is rotated and re-dressed by stage managers, underscoring that were watching a fiction. All rights reserved. Subscribe to the City A.M. newsletter to have our top stories delivered directly to your inbox. Siena Kelly in This Is Not Who I Am at the Royal Court. Photo: Manuel HarlanExcept, this isnt true either! Register or login to unlock 3 free articles every month. The decision over how and what people choose to read into runs deep in this production, and its utilisation by Kirkwood is nothing short of masterful. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Occasional information about discounts, special offers and promotions. Proud weirdos, apparently. Cheers! How and what you believe, or whether you choose to believe anything at all, however, is a different matter entirely. 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. Might have felt a bit different coming from the National Theatre, but not the Court. The cool continental set-up eliminates the need for traditional kitchens, chefs and cutlery (you can eat with your fingers sans-problem). Photo: Manuel Harlan, Royal Court Theatre, Sloane Square, London, SW1W 8AS, Click here for more information and to book. Subscribe to get the essential daily news updates from City A.M's top stories to your inbox. Priority booking for Royal Court Supporters and Friends is now open. We see youre using an ad-blocker. Last Updated on 21 April 2022 by Showcall Editorial Team. The subsequent narrative, she says, is edited down from thousands of hours of recordings, on devices mysteriously installed in the couples house, but substantially true. When it was first announced, there was a strong sense that obviously it was an established playwright and this was a bit, and I've been kind of keeping an eye on it. Nothing. For that reason alone, Im not sure I share the sense of outrage. Mark Ludmon has been a journalist for over 20 years, specialising in theatre, hospitality and drinks after starting in regional daily newspapers. Playwright Dennis Kelly described Davidson as "quite simply the best playwright that this country has never produced", adding: "The fact that this is his first major production is a shocking indictment of the system. The answer is fascinating. I just kind of wanted to know if people who are closer to the community think this is in keeping with trends from Royal Court, or if there was a sense of outrage amongst emerging playwrights or anything else. Priyanga Burford, Siena Kelly and Jake Davies. Yup. It opened recently so there has been more discussion. General booking opens at midday on Friday 22 April 2022 at royalcourttheatre.com. Answering the question who is Dave Davidson? has almost become an obsession, but the more interesting question is: why does it matter? Find out more about Culture Whisper. Sure enough, on opening night a projected announcement told us wed actually be watching a play called Rapture by multi-award-winning Lucy (Chimerica) Kirkwood - an investigation into the deaths of an activist couple, hushed up by the Home Office but uncovered on a Reddit thread. There is no such thing as bad publicity I guess. It is a play of rare political urgency, savage wit and real compassion and wisdom. The Week is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Due to run in the main theatre downstairs from 10 June to 16 July 2022, the new work has been endorsed by leading playwrights Dennis Kelly and Simon Stephens. His voice genuinely has the capacity to change everything.. Did the real him ever exist in the first place? These cookies do not store any personal information. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Awards announced for the best in British panto, National Theatre to re-imagine The Odyssey across England, Review of Alistair McDowalls new play, The Glow, at the Royal Court Theatre in London [], Londons Royal Court lines up premieres of plays by Caryl Churchill, Aleshea Harris and Al Smith plus return of Jasmine Lee-Jones Seven Methods of Killing Kylie Jenner [], Casting has been announced for Out West, three new short plays by leading UK writers, which will mark the reopening of the Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in London. It is a play that defines this country as it blinks its way out of the pandemic and into a chilling new world. We are told the play is actually called Rapture, and that its by the award-winning playwright Lucy Kirkwood. I just don't really get how anyone thought this was a good idea? Because the play itself is actually a different production entirely: Rapture by Lucy Kirkwood its real title disguised because of its exploration of the (fictional) unexplained deaths of Noah and Celeste Quilter which are suggested to be state-sanctioned. But its also gripping throughout, with two riveting central performances and a spirit that chimes with the times. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Art of London - Brand Post | Paid Content, Lionesses cheered by thousands at Trafalgar Square, Huge grass fire takes hold sending smoke over Heathrow Airport, Liz Truss in new boost as Tory vote begins, Lionesses win watched by record-breaking 17.4million, 49% of Tory backers say Sunak has what it takes to be a good PM, Archie Battersbee: Government asks court to review UN request, The Welkin review: Lucy Kirkwood's messy but significant work has a gutsy audacity. His work always showed striking potential. But the force and brilliance of That Is Not Who I Am has completely astonished me. That Is Not Who I Am is said to be the first play by Dave Davidson to ever be produced. In Lucy Morrisons pacy production the plausibly real (the couples struggle to conceive) co-exists with the wildly improbable (Noah persuades Essex locals to take part in a polemic docudrama he writes and directs). Bread Ahead may be most famous for scrumptious, and incredibly Instagram friendly, doughnuts, but also has a incredible variety of top notch bread and pastries on offer. Click on the banner to find out more. Set designer Naomi Dawson offers a lovely surprise at the start, and utilises different levels of the stage to great effect. We are aware that there has been a lot of interest in the playwright. Did the real him ever exist in the first place? His voice genuinely has the capacity to change everything. That Is Not Who I Am is now playing at the Royal Courti Theatre until 16 July. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. The general theory doing the rounds is that he is in fact another playwright using a pen name something the title of the play doesnt so much suggest as fairly literally state. Rapture asks valid questions about how power can be held to account ifthe powerless can be easily discredited, legitimate grains oftruth lost amid piled-on supposition; but its ultimately too self-involved and woolly tohit home hard, while the meta-theatrical ending is justembarrassing. At its heart, this is a play about a struggling young couple who, through a combination of lockdown isolation, poverty and distrust of the state, see their playful interest in conspiracy theories morph into full-blown obsession. Burford sometimes stumbles over the sheer weight of the monologues she has to deliver (perhaps deliberately so, you can read into anything), we are being fed interpretations of a reality to accept and dismiss as see fit. If I've got that all right How stupid are they? Like all truly great dramatists, Kirkwood has created a masterpiece of fabrication, and this reviewer swallowed the deception hook, line and sinker. It is, I think, a startlingly significant piece of work. Perhaps it isnt so far removed from the play it was billed as after all. This means his career started in 1984 when personal computers started to take off with the launch of the first Mac by Apple. And who can Ollie trust to see the real him when the world sees him as a monster? Stephens is quoted by the Royal Court as saying: Dave Davidson had been working steadily in the fringes of the London new writing scene when I first met him on a writers group. How is Dave Davidson? Get exclusive access to priority onsales and special offers, plus never miss out on the biggest stories from the West End, Off-West End and beyond. It seemed like a terrible, tasteless idea to me but I'd love to hear some opinions from others. Though this is of course my interpretation of a play about interpretations. Is this whole thing a prank? Its far removed from the original premise of a play about Ollie, a man who has his identity stolen on the internet, but the deception is rather the point: nothing is as it seems. Liam is a mildly deaf journalist, campaigner and theatre critic.View all posts by Liam O'Dell. A daughter arrives, as does the pandemic, with its own shifting map of objective truth. A new play was marketed as being by an unknown playwright who preferred to stay anonymous. He tweets at @MarkLudmon. Is this the gist of it? Dj vu! Photo: Manual HarlanUsing a combination of documentation from the Quilters themselves, and covert recordings made by an unknown source (possibly an undercover government agent, possibly the neighbour next door who was stalking them) Kirkwood curates the years before the Quilters deaths, painting a picture of an instantly likeable millennial couple trying to make ends meet, trying to have a baby, and trying to save the planet. That Is Not Who I Am (or Rapture) a play about the dangers of living in a society in which we cant trust those in power, and how that mistrust can ripple out in unexpected, sometimes violent ways. Burfords Kirkwood claims were in a world which doesnt understand metaphors and yet the whole entire play is exactly that on a massive scale. you agree to our Terms & Conditions and to our Privacy Policy, which includes our Cookie Use, Seminal playwright Lucy Kirkwood, under the pseudonym Dave Davidson, presents a deeply chilling and hyper real thriller at the Royal Court Theatre. Probably not! His work always showed striking potential. But gradually their shared interest in environmental issues and inequality leads them into fetidly paranoid corners of the internet. View our Privacy Policy. We meet the young, attractive pair on a blind date for a newspaper column, where they bond over conspiracy theories, from nefarious chemtrails to 9/11 being an inside job. I am so glad Dave came back to writing.. The play illustrates the controversial lives of Noah and Celeste Quilter, two British eco-warriors who died in suspicious circumstances in December 2021. And who can Ollie trust to see the real him when the world sees him as a monster? Who is the person really doing and saying these awful things, and who can he trust to see the real him when the world sees him as a monster? From the outset the real playwright Lucy Kirkwood whose recent work includes The Children, Mosquitoes and The Welkin invites the audience to participate in her grand conspiracy. For a start, that isnt really the name of the play its called Rapture and Dave Davidson doesnt exist. If you click Log in with Facebook and are not a Culture Whisper user, But were surely getting slowly closer to the truth. Weve been told that hes a first-time playwright, who has worked in security for the last 38 years, and refuses to be photographed or do interviews. They have everything from basic sourdoughs and baguettes to ciabatta, mini savoury filled focaccias and even Breton Kouign Amann. His voice genuinely has the capacity to change everything., Playwright Simon Stephens added: Dave Davidson had been working steadily in the fringes of the London new writing scene when I first met him on a writers group. Photo: Manual Harlan, Siena Kelly and Jake Davies in This Is Not Who I Am at the Royal Court. Until 16 July. He has an MA in early modern literature and history, focusing on Elizabethan and Jacobean drama, and a theatre studies MA from Royal Central School of Speech & Drama. A drama about identity theft, it was billed as the first play by Dave Davidson, whod worked in the security industry for 38 years. He is described by the Royal Court only as someone who has worked in the security industry for 38 years. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Giant puppet refugee Little Amal is throwing a free dance party in London. When Ollie has his identity stolen on the internet, its bad enough. He is a former panellist for the Olivier Awards. The alarming details Kirkwood found about a potential cover-up while researching, and her going through a vulnerable time in her life, lead her to seek safety in the aforementioned pseudonym. The audience must work out whether there is a genuine conspiracy here that Noahs increasingly revolutionary and popular vlogs had run afoul of murderous agents or if the most prosaic, tragic answer is in fact true. The playwright remains highly security conscious and therefore there will be no further comment. Its the mystery consumingLondon theatre: who is Dave Davidson, the alleged author of That Is Not Who I Am, the new play about identity theft that opens this month at the Royal Court Theatre? Please check your inbox for a confirmation email and click the link to verify your account. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. But about doubly proving the point that people aren't who they say they are and online even more so. Then out steps Lucy Kirkwood or rather someone playing Lucy Kirkwood claiming the events are reconstructed from thousands of hours of illicitly-filmed footage of the couple. In the event, said Dominic Cavendish in The Daily Telegraph, the big reveal comes at the start. On its own merits the play is an enjoyably slippery, enthralling piece of work, albeit with a tiresome metatheatrical framework. Its overdone, particularly in an ending that heaps meta on meta, and in an exploration of what being raptured means. Change). You have reached the limit of free articles. Siena Kelly and Jake Davies in This Is Not Who I Am at the Royal Court. The script was lauded by leading playwrights Simon Stephens and Dennis Kelly. They bring a lightness to the characters from the get go, you cant help but empathise with them and their response to the insidious events they go through. This sub is aimed at professionals in the theatre community. The first one, entitled Who is the writer? (above), sees director Lucy Morrison and cast member Priyanga Burford discuss the identity of the playwright, in what one can only describe as a state of heightened nervousness. It doesnt matter if you know the real identity of playwright Dave Davidson before seeing the Royal Courts mysterious new thriller That Is Not Who I Am. And just because youre paranoid, that doesnt mean they arent out to get you. We already have this email. And if this sounds like metatheatre, its because it is theres even a reference to Inception, for goodness sake. I did not receive payment for this article and all opinions stated above are honest and my own. A slippery new thriller in which nothing is as it seems and nobody is who they are. his slick, conspiratorial thriller drove theatre nerds into a frenzy before it even opened. Everything you thought you knew about the deliberately enigmatic production, we soon learn, is a lie. Kirkwood has combined two of the most powerful tools in the theatre: suspension of belief, and the malleability of an audiences perceptions. []. The mystery of who "Dave Davidson" is created a lot of hype for the show. Hunting for gossip from across the pond! I have to guess that either the playwright wanted to know if their work could stand alone or (more likely) it was a meta reference to not being who they say they are which is part of the point of the play. Another one would be that That Is Not Who I Am/Rapture is a commentary on the use of data and algorithms by conspiracists versus by corporations. But soon it's not just his online life collapsing - his real life is being stolen too. Kirkwoods point is that none of us knows whats real, and that reasonable and bonkers beliefs can coexist.