TThis is the story of an elderly, hearing-impaired man suffering from dementia who comes to live out his final days in a hospice. On the surface, nothing in particular happens. Ramesh Meiyappan’s astonishing play derives its power from the drama of this man’s inner turmoil, where memories collide with reality and hallucinations invade his everyday space.
The story unfolds like a thriller, with existential detective Harry (Meiyappan) trying to piece together the story of his life, from the death of his wife (Amy Kennedy) to her repeated reappearances, each of which seems like a disturbing yet fascinating piece of a puzzle.
Glasgow-based Singaporean deaf writer and actor Meiyappan shares how dementia can be a terrifying disease, especially when you’re deaf and have only one carer to look after you (Elysia Daly) He doesn’t speak BSL and he brings the beautiful and delicate tension of physical theatre to his performance and you can see every trace of his fear and frustration.
The play, presented as part of the Made in Scotland showcase, is brilliantly directed by Matthew Renton, recreating the enthralling fantasy that draws Harry into his lost past and the shocking impact when it is gone.
This is done in part through the use of a mirror (set design by Becky Minto) on the opposite side of the stage, playing up the distorted or unreliable visions that dementia brings, and implicating us as the audience by projecting our own images into it.
This serves as a metaphor for Harry’s distance from himself, as if he is looking at his life through a looking glass, but with a parallel world appearing on the other side: the visual hallucinations of Harry’s wife are romantic and eerie at the same time, the appearance of a young Harry (Rinku Barpaga) has an ominous visual effect, and the older Harry is shocked and angered by his unrecognizable self.
Harry’s room is furnished with a table, an armchair and a pile of pebbles that evoke fond memories and he clings to them as if they were solid, elusive pieces of the past, while a piano score and an eerie, electric soundscape (composed by David Paul Jones) convey the feelings of his illness.
The onstage sign language has no subtitles, so it’s a clever way of putting hearing audiences in Harry’s shoes – we don’t understand the language and can only guess what is being said or watch in bewilderment. With themes of love, death and communication, this is not an easy play to watch, but it’s incredibly moving.
