Imposter 22

Uniquely Unique

Imposter 22

by Molly Davies

Access All Areas at the Royal Court Theatre until 14^th October

Review by Harry Zimmerman

For me, one of life’s little irritants is the apparent inability of many people to correctly understand and use the word “unique”.  A unique event is formally defined as “…being the only one of its kind, unlike anything else”.  Whenever I hear the phrase “almost unique”, or “nearly unique”, I cringe, and the spirit of my old English teacher appears next to me stressing that something either is, or isn’t, unique.

Last night, the performance of Imposter 22 for me was unique, in the sense that it was the first time that I had seen a production predominantly comprised of a learning disabled and autistic cast of actors.

Written by Molly Davies, developed collaboratively over five years by Access All Areas’ learning disabled and autistic Associate Artists: Kirsty Adams, Cian Binchy, Housni Hassan (DJ), Dayo Koleosho, Stephanie Newman, Lee Phillips and Charlene Salter and director, Hamish Pirie, Imposter 22 is a powerful, yet inherently playful, account of navigating barriers and challenging assumptions surrounding neurodiversity whilst stressing the power of respect, friendship and collaborative support.

It is a thought-provoking piece of theatre, tackling themes of societal stereotyping, identity and the power of community action, with wit, authenticity and passion.

All performances are ‘relaxed’, a fact stressed by the cast in an open, warm prologue given at the beginning of the production.  The audience is encouraged to come and go as they please, with subdued lighting used throughout to enable the development of a comfortable, relaxed atmosphere which emphasises the openness of the relationship between cast and audience. 

“Because something only happened if a “normal” saw it, as we know.”

The plot is straightforward enough.  Feeling the pressure of an imminent police arrest following the supposed death of their friend, Joe, (played by a co-opted homeless man, Danny, who is persuaded to take on the role by a financial inducement) seven friends piece together the series of events leading up to Joe’s disappearance and seek to elicit the truth surrounding the mystery.  We, the audience, provide the backdrop to the solution being worked out by acting as witnesses, and form a sounding board for the group’s experiences.

The success of such a production relies on the strength of the ensemble acting, and their ability to interact with the audience in driving forward the narrative.  Here, we are in safe hands.  The cast are clearly comfortable with each other, trusting their abilities and helping in moving the action forward.  This is truly a holistic performance, and the use of the stage crew, lighting and sound teams, and even a prompt as an integral supportive part of the production process was especially effective. 

If everyone on stage appears to be having a good time, then this transmits itself to the audience, and the well-attended house was extremely appreciative of the beautifully crafted, often acerbic, asides from the cast which peppered the dialogue.  For example, when the stage crew put out a number of chairs to convey travelling on a bus, Jake, who was throughout the evening the master of the curmudgeonly put-down, looked at the chairs, paused, sighed and with exquisite timing told the audience that “It was the best they could do.”

Innovative and amusing special effects are sprinkled throughout the play.  The use of a watering can to portray a rainstorm, and the use of blue ropes stretched across the stage to represent the ocean were especially deft and memorable. 

In any piece that is collaboratively devised, there will always be parts that move faster than others, but any longueurs were soon forgotten as the sheer joie de vivre of the cast more than compensate for the occasional slower part of the narrative, especially in the second half.  Occasionally, projection was an issue, and it would have helped if the cast could all have been miked up throughout.   However, these are minor quibbles.

Imposter 22 is essentially a melange of interactions and memories, rooted in the challenges of living in a “normal” world whilst coping with the prejudices and assumptions underpinning neurodiversity.  The insights given by each cast member through the course of the play are genuinely delivered; by turn amusing, sad, contemplative but always thought provoking.  The direct connection with the audience, maintained by regular fourth-wall breaking throughout, was a powerful mechanism that bound audience and actors in a shared journey of understanding and empathy.

Imposter 22 is a different theatrical event.  A provocative, rewarding and yes, unique experience. 

Harry Zimmerman, September 2023

Photography by Ali Wright