BECAUSE OF LOVE

This play was written by Andrew Coley and his natural talent coupled with his journalistic experience certainly showed.     Andrew had done a lot of personal research into the difficult   subject of dementia, and the script was written with delicacy and tact and performed with great sensitivity.   

Hector Boyd’s relationship with his only son becomes estranged when Nathan tells him he doesn’t want to take on the family farm. Several years later as they live their separate lives, Nathan is told that his father has been diagnosed with dementia, he must decide what to do when he realises that his dad is not the man he had bitterly parted from all that time ago and his mother needed his help and support 

Nathan was portrayed with great sensitivity and genuine emotion; from the child who had idolised his father and loved the farm, to the adult who found it hard to reconnect with his old life. The performance was stunning, the pauses in his addresses to the audience while he tried to control his emotions and the almost palpable silence as they shared what he was going through was masterfully achieved.

Hector got the portrayal wonderfully well. His disbelieving anger when his son rejected his heritage, his gradual deterioration and his touching addresses to the audience were performed so naturally and with great skill.

Connie, Hector’s wife was beautifully acted. Her divided loyalties and love to both husband and son, her total commitment to the family and the farm and her eventual illness and death were superbly portrayed 

Jackie supported her husband in every way she could, sacrificing her own chosen way of life, because of her love for Nathan. This again was a very convincing and natural performance so much so; we could have been listening in on a real family dealing with such a situation.  Super!

Anthony, Nathan’s friend stood by with support and help with the challenges the situation brought and was convincingly portrayed 

Sarah and Veronica, the two health professionals, one a therapist and the other the Care Home manager were amazingly realistic and played their roles so well, it may have   been thought that they had dropped in from those roles in real life to give professional advice. Apart from their own talent, this is also the result of a well-researched and well-constructed script.

The ending was inevitably sad but also hope and happiness for the future as Nathan and Jackie after a decade of trying for a baby, succeeded and the happy sound of the baby crying in the background put a smile on the audience’s faces    

This was a beautifully written play, so well researched and performed, it could be a docu-drama and would make an excellent radio play  

Because of Love was an intimate study of human reaction to events, performed expertly and naturally, unforced and based on real experience, beautifully written and staged. Authentic drama at its best 

Many congratulations to all concerned and especially Andrew Coley for writing and directing this play, I look forward to his next one, bring it on!

Graham Liverton 

Regional Councillor NODA Southwest

 

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