Not in My Name is a thought-provoking piece of theatre which realistically portrays the aftermath, community impact and personal consequences of a fictional terror attack in the centre of a small northern town from the perspective of over thirty young characters.

This is a verbatim play in that many of the words used and concerns raised are those of a wide-cross section of people who agreed to be interviewed as part of an extensive research period.

However, while the issues are current, and the opinions and characters and indeed many eye-witness details are real, this is a story. It is told as a cautionary tale in the hope of addressing some common misconceptions around issues concerning Islam and terrorism, and stimulating meaningful discussion and debate of these particularly, but not exclusively, for younger audiences.

Not in My Name can be accessed by school staff and other adults working with young people in a variety of formats.

Subject to demand and funding, Theatre Veritae can facilitate a touring production tailored specifically for a local area. We work with networks of schools and colleges to access funding in order to provide the play at no cost to these organisations and to establish a supportive infrastructure around the production to ensure that it is not viewed as a ‘quick fix’.

A DVD copy of the play is available for follow-up work with classes, although we request that this is not used in isolation of our other resources.

The play script is also available from most internet booksellers, enabling schools and colleges to mount their own production of the play, which – subject to agreement of amateur rights – we will be happy to support.

Extensive teachers’ notes and suggested activities within the published script extend its usefulness for classroom discussion with or without the opportunity to experience the play in performance.

This is an accessible resource which sensitively addresses all of the key Prevent objectives head-on, in a manner that has been proven to be both appropriate to and appreciated by young audiences, as well as teaching staff and wider communities.

"Most impactive play/means of delivering a message that I have seen in 22 years of policing. An excellent vehicle to engage with young people/target audience that is both vulnerable and most at risk of indoctrination/ radicalization. The project also allows genuine consultation with young people and the community and is a good tool to address the issue of preventing violent extremism with a wider audience as part of the Prevent Agenda.”

Asst Chief Constable Cooke, Lancashire Constabulary
 

"The students were fully engaged throughout because of the quality of the production. This enabled them to see violent extremism and its consequences from a number of differing perspectives. The nature of the topic is challenging but it was presented in a very balanced way.”

S. Wallace, Assistant Headteacher
 

“It made me seriously think about the issues occurring in the world and what people would think and I felt shocked because of how realistic it was.”
Callum, 12
 

“The issues have never felt so real. Fantastic play.”
Jed, 16
 

“I like the way the dialogue went straight to the point and didn’t gloss over the issues.”
D. Collinge, Subject Leader (Geography)
 

“Gripping and thought-provoking. Our Yr 10 students remained attentive throughout – no mean achievement!! It’s made a difficult area far more accessible for students and staff, and given a platform for further discussion.”
S. Cox, KS4 Consultant
 

“It was very enjoyable, and a lot more mature and sophisticated than the T.I.E.’s we have had to watch in the past.”
Leah, 14

“The boys’ feedback was really good, they felt that the play really spoke for them. It said the things they wanted to say and the things they went through ... The show gave them a way to talk to people. Before they didn’t know how to approach people about it.”
Doaa Alsoraimi, Al Ghazali Community Centre