Camden New Journal - Theatre: Notes on Falling Leaves

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The Review - THEATRE by MARIGOLD KIERNAN
Published: 6 September 2007

Cast members Richard Jackson and Belinda Frith

A powerful confrontation of dementia

NOTES ON FALLING
Etcetera Theatre

MY heart sank a little when I saw each seat held an Age Concern leaflet on Alzheimer’s, but this play was intent on improving our attitude, and it was far more interesting.
The characters are not able to communicate in the usual way; they never hold a conversation, they talk in monologues.
The son returns to the house where he grew up, now occupied, but which holds memories, smells, and confusion.
He is forced to confront his feelings about his now barely recognisable mother.
The son says talking to his mother “in a sad f****d way” helps him, and we emphathise with him as he expresses his frustration, rage, and misery, none of which appears to penetrate his mother’s consciousness.
It could be disconcerting to watch a lovely young woman with perfect skin and teeth speaking words of a very confused old woman, but I was completely convinced by the character and the acting (Belinda Frith).
The writing brilliantly conveyed her confusion and her occasional lucidity.
She is aware of the revulsion of others, but she can’t count up to seven. She poignantly describes the sensations and naughtiness of wetting herself, and clearly understood her son’s pain.
I was able to ignore a tiny echo of Stanley Unwin in the language!
This is a powerful, shocking exploration of a relationship many of us live with and many of us will need to confront.
Until September 9
020 7482 4857

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