“In a world so full of hate, misunderstanding and separation, we as people find love. It’s what gets us through isn’t it? Love is how we survive.”

Totally Trucked is a one-woman show written and performed by Katie Damer. It’s a deeply personal story following Katie through her teenage years, growing up as a teenager in Manchester and her experiences moving to London for drama school. The play is centred around the traumatic event of getting into a road collision with a ‘ten-tonne truck’ while riding her bike back from school. Damer explores the physical and mental after effects of such a life-changing event, which leads into some interesting anecdotes and messages from her own struggles with mental health as well as those around her.

Totally Trucked is a coming-of-age story, discussing the ups and downs of growing up and the importance of youth. Damer dedicates a large proportion of the show to stories of her drinking vodka and exploring sex, but the number of these tales seem out of proportion compared to the crux of the show which was her devastating road accident. This led to the general shape of the performance feeling disjointed, made worse by the transitions between scenes occurring unnaturally and clumsily. Damer raced through these scenes, resulting in the poignancy of her story not shining through as much as it could have done. Totally Trucked is undeniably a personal story which has great potential to be translated into a successful stage performance, however it came across rushed and unpolished, lacking the subtlety which would have made it a more compelling piece of theatre.