Review: DEMENTIA THE MUSICAL! Paisley Arts Centre

Dementia the Musical is new piece of theatre that has been created with dementia activists for those living with dementia.

Written by Ron Coleman, this show was inspired by the lives of James McKillop, Nancy McAdam and Agnes Houston. The show celebrates the activism of the trio and the work they have done to change the perception of dementia.

Set in the not-too-distant future, three activists- James (Ross Allan), Agnes (Kirsty Malone) and Nancy (Fiona Wood) are taken from their homes by the authorities. They are promised something along the lines of a holiday or a break but it becomes apparent that they have been relocated to some sort of assisted living facility against their will.

There we meet Rigid System (Pauline Lockhart) who patronises the new residents and insists they can't possibly know what is best for them anymore. There's a strong sense of injustice here as the three characters are very clear about their current quality of life. They enjoy spending time with family and tending to their garden. All three are coherent and clear but Rigid System continues to talk over them and twist their words to try and convince the audience they need to be in this accommodation.

Dementia the Musical originally started out as a play and although some of the added songs are amusing, they feel unnecessary most of the time. However, the final song "Loud and Clear" gives a nice moment of unity as the audience joins in with a singalong.   

As the show is based on real people, it's a lovely touch to have them shown on screen in the show. Another nice moment was to have ex-journalist Willy Gilder appear on local news reports updating the public about these troublesome activists. 

It's a subtle and gentle show that manages to avoid cliches and give a personal view of living with dementia. 

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