Find Me

We went to London to see an amateur production of Olwen Wymark's Find Me this evening, directed by Peter Glover.

The documentary-style play portrays the true story of a girl, 'Verity', with behavioural problems. Nowadays, it is likely that she would have been diagnosed as being somewhere on the autistic spectrum. Back then - she was born in the fifties - no-one knew what to do with her.

We're shown the effect her behaviour has on her family, how the authorities are unable to provide adequate or appropriate support, and, finally, how the frustration boils over into imprisonment over a chair-burning incident.

It's quite a display of ignorance, frustration, failure of bureaucracy and heart-ache. I like to think that, even though it may not be perfect nowadays, we are more informed about mental health problems and the treatment of people who suffer from them.

The production was different. There was no scenery and minimal props. Costumes were white shirts or t-shirts and black trousers or leggings. Verity was marked by an Alice band with a bow. The director had said we, the audience, would get used to it, and we did.