Arthur and Jane: long-married, in tune with each other’s oddities, comfortable.

The trouble starts when Arthur’s memory starts to go, and there’s a long, slow progression from the day he forgets why he’s gone to the dairy, to his incomprehension, most of the time, of what’s going on around him.

It’s tough for both of them. Tough for Arthur because of his frustration at not being able to do things he once did, and not understanding why Jane doesn’t always share his perceptions of the world around him. Tough for Jane because of the distress of watching her much-loved husband turning into a different person, the unceasing demands of day-to-day coping and the overwhelming sadness of it all.

Contrast is provided by flashbacks to the couple’s younger days and shows days of easy flirtation to a Frank Sinatra soundtrack, lighting changes indicating the shifts between scenes….

The remainder of this review can be read HERE at the Otago Daily Times – published on 29 March 2025.

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The Mayfair Theatre in Dunedin seats just over 400 and it is just about full for the opening night of In Other Words, written by Matthew Seager and featuring well known New Zealand actors Michael Hurst and Jennifer Ward-Lealand.

There is a hum of expectation in the auditorium despite the publicity advising us that this is a play about Alzheimers. The two actors perform with technical expertise and tell the story of a man’s gradual cognitive decline, and deliver some very funny and lighthearted lines.

The set is simple. There are two chairs, two old fashioned overhead lights and a small unit with a turntable and records. Call me a cynic but I am expecting one of those lights to go out. No. But there are some flickers. Is that deliberate? A way to indicate that Arthur’s mind is losing its connections? Or am I looking for more than is there in the script? Yes. 

I am looking for poignancy but it never arrives.

Locations are signalled by dialogue, but there is room for confusion. It is not immediately clear if Ward-Lealand is now the doctor or is simply reading from the doctor’s letter. It is difficult to see the couple in a hospital consulting room as they sit in their living room armchairs. Again I wonder if this is intended to convey the growing confusion of their lives but I think not.

Seager wrote the play after working in a dementia care home, facilitating sensory stimulation workshops. There is a pedagogical tone to the writing which suggests an educational purpose and I think the play needs a more emotional heart.

The script is episodic and disjointed. You can tell yourself that it is cunningly crafted to show the broken links in a diseased brain but it has one hour to tell its story and it does not do so convincingly.

It is extraordinarily difficult to both act and direct. How much harder must it be when you are a couple acting as a couple and are directing yourself and your partner at the same time? I have seen both of these experienced actors in several roles and I know they have the skills to excel. This is not the best vehicle for them.

The scenes are linked by short bursts of songs by Frank Sinatra. Seemingly the couple cannot help themselves but dance every time they hear Ol Blue Eyes. The dance is always the same. Arthur begins the night by spilling red wine over Jane’s dress. Near the end he spills a cup of tea. What happens in between? They flirt,  get married, keep house together and now they are dealing with a terrible condition where they are becoming strangers again. That reminds me of another Sinatra song.

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In Other Words, Circa Theatre’s latest offering, explores the plight of New Zealand’s 70,000 dementia sufferers through the lens of one shared life story.

Jane and Arthur had met decades earlier, when he spilled red wine on her in a bar; they are now grappling with the intensely painful process by which Alzheimer’s is eroding Arthur’s memory and ability to function. A recurring theme is the titular song, Arthur’s favourite, a piece of music that simultaneously salves wounds and stands in as a metaphor for their deep and abiding love for one another.

On stage, a simple, mid-century-modern set sketches out Jane and Arthur’s living room and, as the play progresses, doubles as a doctor’s office. It forms a minimally effective backdrop to the show’s fulcrum, the two-hander performances by New Zealand acting legends Michael Hurst and Jennifer Ward-Lealand. [More]

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Theatre has confronted and characterised the personal, relational and social impacts of Alzheimer’s for well over a decade. A Dunedin group created The Keys are in the Margarine: a verbatim play about dementia and premiered it at Dunedin’s late lamented Fortune Studio in 2014 then toured it extensively. Wellington’s Circa Theatre produced Florian Zeller’s The Father in 2017 (written in 2012 as Le Père and translated by Christopher Hampton). Last year Lost Lear from Ireland, written and directed by Dan Colley, played to the Aotearoa New Zealand Festival of the Arts.

Now Circa is hosting Figment Productions’ award-winning two-hander In Other Words by UK playwright Matthew Seager. His experiences volunteering in a care home inspired him to write it, and it was first performed in 2017. This production premiered at Auckland’s Q Theatre during World Alzheimer’s Month in September 2024. It has just played Hamilton and is heading to Christchurch, Dunedin and Wanaka after this short – and almost sold out – Wellington season.

Methodical in its dramaturgy by comparison to the aforementioned works, its realisation in performance by Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Michael Hurst, co-directed by themselves with Callum Brodie, elevates it to ‘must see’ status. An extra matinee has been added for Saturday March 8 at 3pm – be quick!

Named for a phrase in ‘Fly Me to The Moon’ – made famous by Frank Sinatra and mutually adored by the play’s Jane and Arthur, who got together on the strength of it – its love-song lyrics take on an extra resonance as Arthur’s mind metaphorically leaves this planet. As it distils their contrasted experiences of living through the onset of Alzheimer’s, In Other Words plays out a specific yet universal story that tests, and is a testament to, this thing called ‘love’.

Arthur has fully succumbed to the condition when we first see him, barely aware that Jane is tenderly putting his feet into his shoes. Next minute he is on his feet all bright-eyed and lively, still in character, eager to tell us how he and Jane got together. Jane also uses direct address to detail how it is for her at various points. I’m told they call these states of being ‘meta-Jane’ and ‘meta-Arthur’.

Initially it feels quite expository and educational, but they are craftily tuning us into their wavelengths so that as the non-linear action progresses, we understand what’s happening – in scenes at home, out socialising or with the doctor – without needing to have it explained.

We empathise and analyse according to our personal awareness and/or experiences of dementia. We are simultaneously engrossed in individual and collective responses at deeply human levels. And we laugh, a lot.

The deceptive ease with which Hurst and Ward-Lealand move from present to past, young to middle-aged, relaxed to frustrated, calm to angry, clear to bewildered, meta to immersed, allows us to focus on the experiences they are sharing while being just faintly conscious of the remarkable subtlety of their acting skills.

Arthur and Jane’s habit of taking time out to recalibrate by dancing to ‘Fly Me to The Moon’ offers us welcome moments to sit with our thoughts and feelings. In other words, this is astutely crafted play and production is insightful, moving, disturbing and heart-warming at many levels.

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I last saw Michael Hurst in Hamilton in 2018, during the tour of his one man show No Holds Bard. It’s fair to say I was impressed.

Alas, I missed seeing Jennifer Ward-Lealand when the 2021 touring production of Two Ladies was cancelled due to Covid 19, so I am excited to see the couple perform together for the first time in a two-hander as part of Hamilton Arts Festival – Toi ora ki Kirikiriroa.

I’m not alone: Clarence St theatre is packed, many drawn by the same opportunity and by the very relatable subject matter of a couple dealing with the effects of an encroaching illness and the changes it brings.

The script is terrific, written by English writer Matthew Seager who spent time working with people suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and saw how music connected people to their memories.

The start of the relationship is fun and playful, a somewhat awkward ‘meet cute’ that could have gone wrong but for Arthur’s persistence and the happy timing of a favourite song. Ward-Lealand and Hurst are light and relatable as the young Jane and Arthur. We see, and like, their differences and the way humour is firmly at the forefront.

The dialogue is realistic and natural as their relationship matures and develops over time. It’s all marvellously ordinary, this life of going out for dinner, playing music, talking and popping to the shop. It could be any of us, but it’s also uniquely Jane and Arthur, who by now, we really like. When the changes come, they are all the more poignant.

Simple costumes span the decades, with items occasionally forming part of the storytelling and book-ending the narrative. The staging is a simple living room which transforms neatly into a bar and a consulting room, through lighting and minor set changes, all integrated naturally into the action.

This is not a show that needs any embellishment. It’s performed with great care and skill, the focus firmly on the central relationship. Ward-Lealand and Hurst are terrific as they explore the love, natural rhythms, quirks and solaces that come with long term coupledom. The disruption, when it comes, sneaks up on them incrementally.

Hurst reveals the increased bewilderment, underlying anger and loss of memory for Arthur expertly while Ward-Lealand skilfully explores Jane’s initial confusion and irritation, then growing awareness as her role changes. The emotionally charged scenes are very good.

The action is interspersed with direct address to the audience which contextualises the action and makes the characters even more likeable.

This is an excellent piece of work and is touring nationally. Highly recommended.

Recommended Ages: 14+
Content Warnings: The play contains swearing and discusses Alzheimer’s, Dementia, cognitive impairment and death.

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The end of the show is heart-breaking in its inevitability

Playwright Matthew Seager was inspired to write this play after seeing the ‘profoundly moving’ effect that music had on residents in a dementia care home. In many ways, he tells a very simple story, but the components that bring this story to life on the stage are exceptional.

From the first moments of the show, as Jane (Jennifer Ward-Lealand) helps Arthur (Michael Hurst) to put on his shoes, I am struck by the small moments of intimacy and connection that are so beautifully rendered by both performers. Of course, being a couple in real-life helps, but their performances build on this to ensure that they effortlessly deliver all of the authenticity, humour and charm that Producer and Co-Director Callum Brodie identifies in his Company Note in the programme.

I really enjoy the way that the show mixes moments from Jane and Arthur’s past and present with witty and engaging commentary from both of them on the events that they portray. Enhanced by effective lighting (designed by Jennifer Lal and operated by Michael Goodwin), as well as the sound of Frank Sinatra’s rendition of ‘Fly me to the moon’, we move seamlessly through their first meeting (which, according to Arthur, was a plan masterfully executed by him) and early married life before arriving at ‘the incident’ that heralds the beginning of a profound change for both Arthur and Jane.

The joy, tenderness and humour of these early scenes is so engagingly performed that I am completely drawn into this beautiful (and in many ways) ordinary love story. I love the way that Arthur uses Sinatra’s song to resolve any possible conflict, as he and Jane are unable to stop themselves from dancing when they hear it. The dancing (choreographed by Claire O’Neal) is joyful, polished and performed with assurance.

The changes of gear from Jane and Arthur’s present to the origin of their love story to the moments of direct connection with the audience are so beautifully paced and performed that I spend at least the first 20 minutes of the show with a huge smile on my face, absorbing the marvellous experience.

As the story moves towards Arthur’s diagnosis (the show makes no secret of the fact that this is a story about Alzheimers) the tone of the performance subtly shifts. This shift is often signalled via sound (effectively designed by Lachie Oliver-Kerby), as the smooth sounds of Sinatra are replaced by those that are far less comforting.

We see Arthur’s condition progress as he and Jane make repeat visits to the Doctor. During one of these visits, Jane tells us of a rare moment of contentment that leads her to an unexpected impulse. Ward-Lealand is astonishing in this section, delivering a searing description of the impact of Arthur’s condition on her that viscerally brings to mind a very similar moment from my own life. Tears run freely as the authenticity of this moment bites.

Soon after, Hurst heart-breakingly shows us the impact of the situation on Arthur, reigniting my tears at the contrast between this moment and the moments of joy and mischief earlier in the play. Hurst’s ability to utterly inhabit the full range of Arthur’s journey from a smitten lover to someone unable to fully comprehend their world is remarkable. It is a real privilege to see two such phenomenal performances complementing each other so perfectly.

The end of the show is heart-breaking in its inevitability and simplicity and brings us full circle back to the beginning. Having been immersed in their story for so long, I arrive at this moment devastated for both characters.

Unbelievably (and frustratingly for me), the audience members sitting next to my companion and I during the show seemed less immersed as they appeared incapable of leaving their phones alone or staying quiet during the performance. This really was a huge loss for them, as this is an outstanding show with breathtaking performances. 

I urge you to go and see this show and appreciate how fortunate we are to be able to experience two such powerhouse performers at the very top of their game. Please just leave your phone in your bag!

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