Following award-winning, five star productions around the world, In Other Words will tour England and Scotland in Spring 2025. We sat down with Matthew and Lydia to talk about his envision on the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and the transformative power of music.
What inspired you to write In Other Words, and how has your relationship with the play evolved since its debut?
MATTHEW SEAGER: I was facilitating sensory stimulation workshops in a dementia care home whilst studying at the University of Leeds. We decided to play Frank Sinatra’s My Way to the residents at the end of our session to see if it calmed them or helped stimulate memory in any way. Some had seemed non-verbal and some were hallucinating or experiencing delusions, but when we played the music it seemed as if almost every resident in the room sang every word from memory. It was extremely emotional and totally transformative for me.
The play evolves in the room each time we rehearse it and as we’ve had a number of different actors play Jane, all of them brilliant, the central relationship continues to feel fresh.
What has been the most unexpected audience reaction you’ve experienced while performing In Other Words?
MS: We often get fairly viscerally emotional reactions from audience members who come to watch In Other Words which is a really beautiful thing and not a responsibility we take lightly. However, I think there is also consistently a sense of joy and hope which people might not expect. It’s a love story and we want audiences to fall in love with Arthur and Jane as a couple.
The play has had international success. How do you think the story resonates across different cultures?
MS: Yes – the play has had productions in four continents now and won a number of awards. I think the universality of In Other Words is what makes it internationally appealing. Dementia is something which will directly or indirectly affect all of us, regardless of where we’re from.
Just as importantly, the play is about love. That feeling, along with the feeling of caring about someone, is something we’ve all experienced in some form.
What drew you to the role of Jane, and how did you emotionally prepare for such a heartfelt performance?
LYDIA WHITE: There were many things that drew me to Jane but I think the biggest draw was her emotional arc throughout the play. We see many iterations of Jane, throughout different ages and stages of her life and I feel like the audience grow with her. It feels like a huge privilege as an actor to play such a layered, vibrant and genuine character – a huge testament to Matt for writing such a moving landscape for Jane.
I don’t think I’ll ever be emotionally prepared for the performance actually! It takes me by surprise every time, and again is such a privilege to be part of. As the actor, I also move through the stages of the play with the characters, (e.g. after the most heightened emotional monologue for Jane, I can feel quite exhausted, but Jane is also sinking further into her exhaustion as a carer at this point) so I don’t have to force myself into a vulnerable place, the story does it all for me.
What has been the most memorable part of rehearsing for In Other Words so far?
LW: I think the most memorable part of rehearsing IOW has been the joy in the room – surprising with such a difficult subject matter, but Andy (our brilliant director) and Matt cultivated such a trusting, open and communicative environment. There was space for all the playfulness and laughter, alongside all the heaviness and difficulty. The story relies on the belief that these two characters are completely in love, and there cannot be a truthful interrogation of this without joy!
If you could have dinner with any historical figure from the arts, who would it be and why?
LW: I think it would have to be Virginia Woolf – I love her writing and her expression of womanhood, life and art. She spent a lot of time with her close friends cultivating spaces for artists, writers, actors and philosophers and I would love to be a guest at one of her houses/gardens for the summer!
What’s your ultimate pre-show ritual to get into character?
LW: I like to do some breathwork before a show to really ground myself and tell my nervous system that I’m okay. I also like to imagine that whatever character I’m playing at the time is doing the breathwork with me, so I can check in with her before we tell the story together. All of this and then probably some eating some sweets..
Ticket and info: https://www.arcolatheatre.com/whats-on/in-other-words-2/