When your partner is diagnosed with a life-changing illness, your shared history becomes a prologue. At first, nothing tangible changes between you. But at that moment, you each gain a new identity within your relationship. They are the patient, and you are the carer. And the future you had planned together is revealed as a mirage.
As the audience enters, Jane (Lydia White) and Arthur (Matthew Seager) are falling in love. They sit beside each other, blissfully conversing and gazing into each other’s eyes, accompanied by the music of Frank Sinatra. This is the very beginning of the life they will spend together.
Then, the lighting changes. Arthur remains seated, but now he is nonverbal, trembling, childlike. Jane comforts him.
We follow their relationship from the day they meet. Jane is self-assured; Arthur apologises too much. They dance to Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon. Together, they are strong. Then, Arthur starts to forget things. Jane takes him to see the doctor. He has dementia.
Seager wrote the piece, as well as acting. He has worked in a nursing home, and the play is informed by his experience. The scenes where Arthur’s medical team conduct cognitive tests are heartbreaking, charting the decline of his faculties. In the end, the couple’s favourite song remains as their bridge to the past, soothing Arthur in moments of terror and reminding them both of what they had together.
The set is simple, just two chairs, a lamp and a rug. The narrative is nonlinear, with lighting changes, designed by Will Adler, marking scene transitions. A subtly different lighting colour identifies each time period. I loved this approach, which enables the actors to keep the momentum going. The play is perfectly paced.
This is a beautifully observed portrait of a marriage, and of the devastation that dementia can bring. The characters, and their relationship, are so real and vivid, thanks to the wonderful script and acting. This is a story that many will recognize, told with dignity and love. Strongly recommended.
Future tour dates are available via TBC productions’ Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/productions_tbc
Reviewer: Wendy McEwan
Reviewed: 3rd May 2025
North West End UK Rating: