A playwright has mentioned he was “so grateful” that his theatrical work exploring the transformative energy of music for individuals with dementia helped him navigate his grandmother’s prognosis.
Matthew Seager, 31, advised the PA information company that he wrote a play about music’s potential to assist individuals residing with dementia after a “life-changing second” when he performed Frank Sinatra for care house residents throughout a workshop.
His play, In Different Phrases, gave the playwright and actor first-hand expertise of the influence of dementia a number of years earlier than his grandmother acquired a prognosis.
The play has returned to the stage in London this month, which is World Alzheimer’s Month, in partnership with The Utley Basis’s Music For Dementia marketing campaign, which goals to make music an integral a part of dementia care.
Seager, who stars within the play, mentioned it’s “a love story that spans 50 years of our couple’s relationship, Arthur and Jane, and it’s about how they meet and the way they fall in love after which additionally, all through their life, how he will get recognized with Alzheimer’s illness and his dementia journey.
“It’s in regards to the energy of music in relation to Alzheimer’s illness, and their connection to a specific Frank Sinatra music that’s enjoying after they meet and options loads.
“It’s in a position to maintain him linked to her and to the world round him proper by means of to close the very finish of his life, which is the place we end the play.”
He was impressed to jot down the play when, as a 20-year-old drama scholar, he performed Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me To The Moon throughout a sensory stimulation workshop he facilitated in a care house as a part of his college course.
He mentioned: “We had been doing an utilized theatre module in a care house, the place we must do a little bit of time on every sense.
“We had this concept to play some music on the finish of the session and see if any of the residents had been in a position to sing alongside.
“We did some maths and found out that if their common age was of their 80s, after they had been of their 20s and 30s, they in all probability listened to Frank Sinatra and that form of factor.
“We printed out music sheets of My Manner and put them on the tables simply in case and… virtually each single resident with out fail stood up and from reminiscence sang each single phrase of this music and it was an extremely profound, shifting second.”
A number of years after the play’s debut in 2017, Seager’s grandmother was recognized with dementia and he discovered that staging In Different Phrases helped him navigate her prognosis.
He mentioned: “In the event you’re in your 20s and a liked one will get recognized with dementia, your potential to work together with them, to tune in and perceive what that particular person needs and wishes, is so alien and intimidating.”
He mentioned that due to his expertise writing and starring within the play, in addition to working with individuals with dementia, he “felt none of that”.
Seager mentioned: “I’m so grateful to have that in these final couple of years as a result of it meant that I used to be in a position to be along with her with out feeling intimidated or scared.
“I used to be in a position to higher tune in to the form of issues that she needed and in addition perceive in these moments the place I feel she shone by means of the illness.”
Seager mentioned staging his play has been “so extremely worthwhile” due to the “actually emotional engagement with the viewers”, which frequently consists of family members of individuals with dementia.
He mentioned: “We’ve had some unbelievable reactions and conversations with viewers members and fairly viscerally emotional reactions by way of individuals being moved and crying and speaking in regards to the cathartic nature of what the efficiency is for them.
“I’d hope, there’s a lot fact on this story, little nuggets that folks recognise from both family or individuals in their very own life, that turns into very common and fairly emotive and poignant.”
In Different Phrases returns to London on the Arcola Theatre from September 5–30, which shall be adopted by a UK tour.