An intimate, powerful telling of the effects of dementia and the profound power of music
I want to add a caveat to this review which might make my analysis seem unfair: I’m not entirely sure why I’m not giving this show five stars. My partner, who accompanied me, assures me it deserves the full five—and Lord knows she is smarter than I am. And I really did consider it. There was simply something that didn’t quite push me to be able to type it down and I hope, for that, I can be forgiven (even if I can’t quite explain my reasons).
With that in mind, let’s properly start by thoroughly underlining that this is a phenomenally good show. In many ways, it’s incredibly simple. It explores the effects of Alzheimer’s on one couple, Arthur and Jane, and tracks their journey from meeting to “the incident” to dementia’s inevitable conclusions while demonstrating the unbelievably powerful effect of music. The set is mostly bare—two old armchairs and a lamp—and it’s only a two-hander, yet the show succeeds in building out its world and packing its punches.
The chemistry of the main couple is vital in a piece of this kind and Lianne Harvey and Matthew Seager have it in spades. A chemistry which threw me initially, it may entertain you to know, given how strongly they reminded me of Olivia Colman and Jamie Demetriou. I digress.
The point is they are excellent performers. Their moments of joy together are believable and heartwarming and their grounded portrayals of the harder moments are full of depth and complexity. They clearly understand what each moment is trying to do and dance through the tonal shifts with ease. It’s also worth mentioning how spectacularly good they both are at playing the different ages required, which is no mean feat; indeed, Harvey’s monologue nearer the end of the show, as our stoic ever-enduring Jane speaks privately with the doctor, is a heart-wrencher displaying a maturity beyond her years. Seager is similarly victorious in finding all of Arthur’s dimensions and, in particular, his portrayal of the later stages of dementia is beautiful and upsetting in its accuracy and care.
Ready for a reviewing cliché? They are helped by the writing. Seager is also the play’s author and demands true respect for the clear consideration he has poured into every moment of the script. It’s funny in one moment, gutting in the next, and manages to walk to the edge of predictability without falling in. Often, even when we get the moment we are expecting, like when we see the older Arthur slip into lucidity at the sound of his song, the one he shares with Jane, it still works.
For the most part, the reason the show is a triumph is because it doesn’t get in its own way. We all know the power in the truth and ordinariness of stories like these and the creative team have clearly placed this above all. This shines through in every element of design and is well-demonstrated in Andy Routledge’s direction, which manages to travel our story through time and space with an impressive fluidity and simplicity.
So why not five stars? Maybe the talking to the audience took me out of the story slightly. Maybe the predictability, while still impactful, left room for more surprises that never came. Maybe the half a star was lost in the heat of my sweaty journey to the theatre. It could be my fault.
Regardless, In Other Words is a production worth seeing, told incredibly well. It’s an exploration of what memory can mean to us, of what enduring love looks like, and how music can thread a life together. You will laugh, you will cry and you might leave the theatre, as I did, wishing that, “when I’m old and grey, I’m gonna feel the way I do today.” One thing’s for sure, you will leave hoping more can be done in the effort to help those in situations like these.
For more information on the Music for Dementia programme, visit: www.musicfordementia.org.uk