[title]
It’s the mystery consuming London 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?
We’ve been told that he’s a first-time playwright, who has ‘worked in security’ for the last 38 years, and refuses to be photographed or do interviews. The general theory doing the rounds is that he is in fact another playwright using a pen name – something the title of the play doesn’t so much suggest as fairly literally state. Speculation as to Dave Davidson’s ‘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 doesn’t seem like anybody knows. We can assume that the truth is going to come out fairly soon: the play starts previews on June 10 and has a press night a week later.
In the meantime, we’ve got a couple of behind the scenes videos to share with you. And they’re… unusual.
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. In the second, entitled ‘Jake Davies and Siena Kelly discuss Dave Davidson’s slippery thriller’, the other two cast members chat about the play but seem extremely confused about what they’re actually allowed to say about it. It’s conspicuous that at no point do they say the playwright’s name.
Do either of these videos clear anything up? Probably not! But we’re surely getting slowly closer to the truth. Who is Dave Davidson? Why is Dave Davidson? How is Dave Davidson? Is this whole thing a prank? Or a conspiracy? The truth is out there.
‘That is Not Who I Am’ is at the Royal Court Theatre, Jun 10-Jul 16.
The best new London theatre shows to book for in 2022.
Giant puppet refugee Little Amal is throwing a free dance party in London.