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maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 JANUARY 2023 4 THEATRE Love, In Other Words The Malta premiere of Matthew Seager's In Other Words opens on Friday at Theatre Next Door. Laura Bonnici chats with stars DENISE MULHOLLAND and JES CAMILLERI to f ind out how they are bringing this bittersweet love story of living with dementia to life THIS weekend, The Shrinking Violets return with their first show in three years. And true to form, their choice of play is a poignant premiere that spot- lights both the joy of lifelong love, and the cruelt y of a mind slowly stolen away by demen- tia. Matthew Seager's In Oth- er Words follows Arthur and Jane, whose love story has blossomed since they first met – or 'the incident', as they call it now. But times, and their minds, have changed. Tak- ing an intimate, humorous and deeply moving journey through married life to the music of Frank Sinatra, the play explores the realities of Alzheimer's disease and the transformative power of mu- sic. "I read the script and thought it would be a great Violets show," says Denise Mulhol- land, who stars as Jane and is one of the five leading fe- male theatre practitioners who make up The Shrinking Violets, alongside Chiara Hy- zler, Maria Buckle, Jo Caruana and Cathy Lawlor. "The sto- ryline was also familiar to me: my beautiful mum died from Alzheimer's almost six years ago, so the subject is perti- nent. The play handles the slow decline into Alzheimer's with such delicacy and care. My dad was the principal car- er for my mum for years and the love they had for each oth- er was so obvious, even in the darkest moments. The cou- ple in In Other Words have a similar, enduring love that is inspiring and heart-breaking. Jane faces the challenges head on, not from a sense of duty or obligation, but because she loves Arthur with every fibre of her being." Joining Mulholland in her much-anticipated return to performance is Jes Camilleri as Arthur, both directed by fellow Violet Chiara Hyzler. "I have been a fan of the Violets from the start," he says. "It's a great honour to work along- side Denise in this intimate two-hander – I couldn't ask for a better opportunity. And Chiara has brought a fresh yet professional approach to the rehearsal room that is chal- lenging me to move beyond my comfort zone." "Quite simply, I'm loving re- hearsals so far," agrees Mul- holland. "Matthew Seager writes with great humour and has found moments of levi- ty despite the play's serious nature, so we have plenty of laughs (and tears). It's also more than a little daunting as the play is challenging in many ways, but I am trying to focus on the excitement rather than the terror!" Indeed, portraying Alzheim- er's on stage brought challeng- es. "Alzheimer's disease is a horrible disease and I realised that I knew very little about it before I took on this role," Camilleri admits. "I have been watching videos of Alzheim- er's patients as well as talking to relatives of people suffering from the disease and they are providing invaluable input. I share a common passion for music with Arthur and that al- lows me to connect easily with how he uses music as both a means of escape and a place of solace." Since music plays such an important part in the sto- ry – enhanced by original soundscapes created by Mat- teo Depares – the Violets al- so researched the connection between music and memory, Mulholland explains. "The song Fly Me To The Moon acts as a trigger for Jane and Arthur. It was playing the first time they danced together and becomes their theme song. As the condition worsens, it re- mains a way for them to con- nect with each other." With the collaboration of the Malta Dementia Society, In Other Words is an opportuni- ty to raise awareness about de- mentia, against the backdrop of a story of love against the odds. "Because of the play's non-linear nature, we also see Jane and Arthur pre-Alzheim- er's, at their happiest," she shares. "There are moments of laughter and tenderness juxta- posed against heartbreak. This is a play about the enduring nature of love. It's a play about hope." The Shrinking Violets pro- duction of In Other Words by Matthew Seager will play at Theatre Next Door, Maghtab, on 3-5 and 10-12 February 2023. Tickets are available at https://tnd.com.mt/. This project is supported by the Arts Council Malta. Jes Camilleri and Denise Mulholland, photo Emma Micallef