Where are you now?

Abstract

“What will survive of us is love”, says Philip Larkin in his poem An Arundel Tomb. A similar reflection, in response to the question of what is left of a person ravaged by Alzheimer's disease, beats at the heart of Plaques and Tangles, a new play written by Nicola Wilson and directed by Lucy Morrison at London's Royal Court Theatre. Dementia is currently in the spotlight on the London stage. It's also the subject of Florian Zeller's brilliant play The Father, which follows the story of the progressive decline of an old man with dementia and the way his illness affects his daughter. By contrast, Plaques and Tangles broadens the scenario to the entire family of someone developing the disease at a young age. In Wilson's play the main character is linguist Megan, who discovers at the age of 21 years that she has a 50% chance of carrying a gene that causes familial Alzheimer's disease, which has already been responsible for her mother's death. Plaques and Tangles follows Megan over the years from her first awkward encounter with the endearing dental student Jez to their fulfilling life together with their two children, Lila and Ned. In telling Megan's story the play raises important questions. How does the result of a genetic test affect a person's life? What should a doctor advise if the result of a genetic test is positive? Is keeping the result of the test secret from one's family a way to protect them or a selfish decision since the gene can be inherited? Are family members who care for a relative with dementia supported by society and institutions? The play's non-linear structure helps the audience to enter the maelstrom of Megan's mind—the story moves backwards and forwards across time, with some scenes played in reverse. Different characters claim ownership of specific memories. Megan's mother appears on the scene as a reluctant figment of her daughter's imagination and questions the validity of what she remembers. Both Megan and her husband Jez are played by two different actors—Rosalind Eleazar, in an assured debut, and an endearing Robert Lonsdale, as the young couple, and a movingly intimate Monica Dolan and Ferdy Roberts, as their older version. The play is particularly strong in highlighting the devastating effect that early Alzheimer's disease has on a close-knit family, especially children. Ned and Lila are the first to notice that Megan is starting to show some symptoms and are ultimately devastated by seeing her regress to a child-like condition. Plaques and Tangles does not shy away from showing the most violent and upsetting stages of Alzheimer's disease. Megan smears excrement on her daughter, attempts to stab her husband, and does not recognise the people who love her. Ned and Lila struggle to reconcile their feelings of anger and rejection towards their mother with their desire to help and protect her as she becomes increasingly vulnerable. The strain of caring for Megan ultimately leads to tragedy when Lila takes amphetamines to keep awake one night and accidentally dies of a seizure in the bath. As someone with experience of caring for relatives with dementia, it is very painful to watch and recognise Megan's behaviour and see how a loving family is torn apart by feelings of anger, impotence, and loss. But in the end, Plaques and Tangles suggests that the only sense in the struggle of this family against a disease that takes away all that defines their mother is to keep alive the very memory of what she was before. Philip Larkin is right: that is love. Plaques and Tangles By Nicola Wilson, directed by Lucy Morrison. Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court Theatre, London, UK, until Nov 21, 2015 http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/plaques-and-tangles Plaques and Tangles By Nicola Wilson, directed by Lucy Morrison. Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court Theatre, London, UK, until Nov 21, 2015 http://www.royalcourttheatre.com/whats-on/plaques-and-tangles A relentless journey: life with dementiaFor many of us, caring for ageing parents has become part of modern life. It is a challenging time for both the child and parent as their roles reverse. French playwright Florian Zeller's award-winning play The Father is a brutally honest portrayal of dementia. In a virtuoso translation by Christopher Hampton, the play explores the relationship between a father and his daughter, and the ravaging illness that robs them of each other. Full-Text PDF