Raising awareness of dementia carers through theatre

A woman who wrote a play about the family of a dementia patient said she wanted to "get people talking" about what it was like to have a loved one with the disease.

Remember Me tells the story of Sally and her daughter Keira as they navigate the changes in their beloved Jack, whose fading passion for painting signals the onset of dementia.

Oxford writer Lekha Desai Morrison was inspired to write the play about the family's "agony" after helping to care for her father-in-law after he was diagnosed.

"I hope by people coming to watch the play, the audiences will connect with each other afterwards," she said.

She said caring for a loved one with dementia could bring a whole host of emotions.

"One of the things is the frustration with the person with dementia," she said.

"They're not doing anything wrong, they just don't know what they can do or can't do.

"And people shout at them and then the guilt that you feel with it, and it's those sorts of conversations that people should have with each other and support each other... that is the reason for the play, to get people talking about it and also to know what is available out there in terms of support."

Ms Morrison said when her family was experiencing it over three to four years, they did not know what support was out there.

"We had to navigate my father-in-law from his diagnosis to his full illness," she said.

"It's very traumatic. You become a prisoner really... it's impossible to leave that person alone because they could be a danger to themselves, they forget to eat, they forget to shut the front door, they forget where their keys are."

She said a play felt like the "perfect opportunity" to raise awareness.

It has already been performed in Peterborough and previously in Oxford, and now it is on at the Old Fire Station, with the final performance on Saturday night.

"It was very successful. People were queuing outside and they said 'put it on again', so it's on again," said Ms Morrison.

"We hope it will be just as successful."

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