Bothered and Bewildered

 

Bothered & Bewildered is an aptly named show concerning 3 generations of women affected by the increasing dementia of the oldest woman, their mum and grandma Irene, As the play unfolds, we see a series of flashbacks to Irene’s younger days, which help us to see her as a complex woman with a tale to tell, rather than just a batty old lady. The play ought to come with a “trigger” warning, as there will be many people in the audience who will be deeply affected by the subject matter, so well portrayed- I know I was.

I was welcomed to the lovely Guildhall Theatre by Tony Hine, the assistant director. It was a shame that on the opening night, the audience was quite sparse- a shame because this production deserves a wide audience.

The set was well-planned, with chairs and tables used to portray living rooms and hospital consulting rooms with minimal movement. The stage was dominated by a gorgeously decorated platform at the back, on which sat enthroned the famous novelist Barbara Cartland, played imperiously by Suzie Stevens (Barbara Cartland novels have always been Irene’s escape, and as she slips into dementia her auditory and visual hallucinations include, among others, the waspish Miss Cartland, commenting and advising Irene as events unfold).

The rear projection of images on the backdrop to set each scene was impressive – I particularly liked the way that images of Irene became blurred and misty as her dementia progressed.

The acting was of a high quality. Margaret Glen’s portrayal of Irene, from the mother suddenly faced with her long-lost adopted son to the shuffling confused old lady, was very convincing.

Deborah Hart and Heather Butterworth as the two long- suffering daughters were also convincing – Deborah playing the older, apparently hard-hearted practical daughter who finally dissolves in tears as she tries to find a placement for her mother; Heather playing the softer, more sympathetic Louise who is prevailed upon to take her mother into her home.

Rachel Armitage played the young Irene, jitterbugging with her wartime boyfriend James, and also Shelley, Irene’s affectionate granddaughter whose life is mirroring the life of the young Irene.

Two men competently made up the cast, playing a variety of roles - consultants, GPs, soldiers, policemen – these were Paul Dexter and Paul Keenan, who must have been busy changing costumes every few minutes!

Props and costumes were generally very good, although I must say as a child of the sixties myself that I found Young James’s hippy costume a little bit too outlandish! Attention to detail with props was obvious, with for example the use of clamshell mobile phones (the play is set in 2001).

The lighting was excellent, and the sound effects were bang on cue – well done, this can be a difficult task!

I was pleased to see that the production was sponsoring the Alzheimer’s Society and the Grantham Dementia café- two worthy causes. The programme is comprehensive and includes details of dementia and the support available for those affected and their family, as well as all the usual production details.

Well done SPHP for a moving and relevant production.

© NODA CIO. All rights reserved.