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Mind of Man

 
Mark Harding Review by Mark Harding 4 Published: 7 Nov 2025 Scottish Storytelling Centre Show Dates: 6 Nov 2025-6 Nov 2025

Imagine: you turn 21 and are moved from a young offenders’ institution to an adult prison, where you share a cell with a man serving 17 years. That’s the setting for Creative Expressions’ play Mind of Man.

Going deeper and wider than the simple stereotypes we see on TV.

One of the most impressive things about this play is its commitment to going deeper and wider than the simple stereotypes we see on TV or in popular films.

For example, Shug, the man with the longer sentence, has found purpose and self-respect through leading the prison’s drug recovery group and is working towards rehabilitation and parole. Kai, the younger man, has no interests beyond the pleasure of the moment, yet is an attractive and hilarious character.

The characterisation is superb. Shug, for all his noble ambitions, battles simmering impulses of anger and violence that he must keep under constant control. Kai is exactly the sort of person you’d find amusing to meet, but would hate to live next door to. Yet beneath Kai’s defensive shell lies a complex human being.

Both parts are extremely well performed. Sean Connor captures all the bravado and comic potential of Kai. Adam Robertson, as Shug, does not get the opportunity for jokes but brilliantly conveys the thin line between intense purpose and the brink of violence.

Informed by contributions from prisoners, and with workshop co-facilitator Lauren Bianchi, Sam Rowe’s witty and entertaining script shows an admirable dedication to the truth of the characters and the way institutional systems inadvertently trap them.

The title, and the tagline “Over half of people in prison are thought to be neurodivergent”, make the theme clear. But, to be honest, among all the reasons I could see why Shug and Kai were in prison, it was unclear how much of their behaviour stemmed from neurodivergence. (This may apply to anyone without relevant personal or professional experience.) This focus on presenting the complexity of the whole story is far more valuable and satisfying than offering an oversimplified message.

At the same time, the play forcefully raises the question of how many blighted or wasted lives might be avoided if society adapted better to neurodivergence. The UK has a far higher incarceration rate than other western European countries. Surely that is too important an issue to ignore?

Highly recommended as a piece of drama and as a compelling introduction to a vital topic.

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The Blurb:

Over 50% of people in prison are thought to be neurodivergent. This creates additional challenges in an already high-stress environment, with lack of diagnosis only aggravating the issue.

For Shug, after decades of addiction, life finally feels like it’s going in the right direction. But when a new and unpredictable cellmate, Kai, moves in, Shug’s carefully constructed new sense of self threatens to fall apart.

Combining the experiences of Scottish Prisoners with the author's own experience of living with undiagnosed ADHD/Autism, 'Mind of Man' is a play about the struggle to claim your place in the world when you and the people around you can’t understand what’s going on inside your brain.

Emerging from The University of Edinburgh’s major REALITIES research programme, addressing health disparities across Scotland, Mind of Man makes a powerful challenge to prisoners, policy makers and the wider public. This debut performance will be followed by a panel discussion.

Part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival.