Review: That's Not My Name (Old Fire Station)

When I first became aware of Covered In Jam and Asylum Art’s production That’s Not My Name on Instagram it appealed to me firstly because of the subject matter but also because of inclusion of a 2 star quote among several higher ratings on their posters, instantly giving the sense that this was going to be a show that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

Written by Sammy Trotman, who started writing after being sectioned, there are a lot of content warnings for this production. If you’re considering seeing it, take these seriously as each of the things mentioned appear in spades. There’s also audience participation so avoid the front row if you shy away from this, like I do. Luckily, for the performance I saw, the people involved were happy to participate.

Described as a show about mental health issues, and particularly deconstructing psychiatry practices, what appeared before us on the stage felt like you were inside the head of someone who was struggling with their mental health. How to describe the content is something I have been thinking about since walking out of the theatre and the honest answer is, it’s absolute carnage. Unpredictably chaotic, but somehow also completely captivating. If you are looking for a play with a beginning, middle and neatly tied up end, this will not be for you at all.  However, if you want to see something completely different which will make you feel uncomfortable at times and where everything else going on around it means the forewarned nudity barely hits the radar when it happens, then go and see this and absorb the mayhem.

Initially introduced by director Marceline Rix, who reads out the content warnings and adds to them amusingly, it becomes apparent that she isn’t only the director fairly quickly. Similarly, Scott Ward not only expertly handles the lighting and sound but also gets involved in the show at times. This collaborative approach makes the scenes in front of you feel even more varied and engaging. This blurring of roles is also completely in line with the rest of this visual representation of experience of mental health issues.

Marceline Rix and Sammy Trotman (curtain call photo)

Using a blend of poetic spoken word – the words of which are beautifully crafted, with mediums such as dance, comedy, songs and other sketches, the rollercoaster of emotions unleashed is intelligently mastered. At times you are listening to what feels like a biography of a person who grew up in a lifestyle which may be perceived from the outside as more than adequate, yet the relationship they have with their parents becomes clearer as time goes on, culminating in a visual representation of intergenerational trauma. The system of diagnosing people with personality disorders is dissected. None of this comes across in an organised linear way, as the show constantly changes style and pace. It’s erratic, shocking at times, and keeps you engaged throughout as a result.

Amongst some comedy moments (a nurse repeatedly asking an audience member to hold an imaginary lit cigarette during a conversation with a colleague, for example), there are times where you feel acute empathy for this character.  One line that has stuck with me and made me think ever since was, (I am potentially paraphrasing), “If I was male I’d probably be in jail now”. Sammy makes it very clear that coming from a privileged white background means that opportunities available to them would not have been open to others in a similar situation and makes you wonder how those other people would fair.

That’s Not My Name pushes against the sides of the boxes people are put in when they receive a diagnosis of a personality disorder. Mentions of family trauma, mindfulness, dissociation, attention seeking, and many other topics that can arise from various diagnoses were included, but very much from the point of view of one person, which is entirely the point. What unfolds in front of you is designed to stay with you long after the show ends, partly because of the sensory assault of the spectacle on the evening, but also as the layers begin to peel away afterwards, as you process what you’ve seen.

This is what fringe theatre is all about; not only creating a captivating piece of work but also leaving you thinking about it long after the performance ends. That’s Not My Name is not just a show, but also a loud and valid call for change.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

That’s Not My Name is currently on Tour. You can buy tickets here.

If you would like to see more of my curtain call photographs from this and other shows, please visit my Instagram.

I was gifted a ticket for this show in exchange for an honest review.