Demented, the newest work from renowned Canberra playwright Ruth Pieloor, explores the juxtaposition that comes within the dementia journey. The show hits the stage at The Q – Queanbeyan Performing Arts Centre on 17-20 August.

Pieloor was inspired by her personal experience with a family member with dementia when writing; after development last year she left the work in the hands of director Ali Clinch. Clinch also brought her understanding of being a caregiver to her father with dementia to the piece.  

“I shared a lot of the experience with my family and friends, particularly the funny, delightful, joyful moments that dementia brings. They have this whole life that they have lived, and they’re sort of tapping in and out of these joyful memories of life and tapping in and out of their childhood sensibilities,” Clinch said.

Throughout the play, they share the unique journey of dementia from the perspective of the person who is losing their memory, while simultaneously sharing the experiences of the family. Clinch said that while dementia is the vessel for delivery, the heart of it is a story of the invisible work Australian women do, the suggested carer role they take on, the mental load that comes with it, and how it travels down generations.

“The magic of generational relationships in the dementia journey, there’s nothing else like it and we wanted to bring that to light. The show might sound like it’s a really heavy, difficult, unpleasant thing to sit through but it’s just delightful; it’s the emphasis on the joy of the child and the elder,” Clinch said.

Having lost her family during the pandemic, the work is deeply personal to Clinch, who has peppered nods to her father throughout the play; one of his favourite songs, and reflections of the relationship he shared with her son. Clinch keeps her father with her by wearing his socks when she is doing things she knows he would be proud of.

“It’s those small things with the big things; the way conversations turn on their head with someone with dementia – you’ll think you’re having a really precious moment and then they’ll fart, or they are just somewhere else completely and it’s hilarious and painful at the same time,” Clinch said.

In Demented, Maggie, the matriarch, is on a journey of dementia; we see how this impacts the three generations of women who follow her. One of the relationships explored is between Maggie and her great-granddaughter, Emily, who is five and a half. Clinch was able to add insight here as she had a newborn when her father was first diagnosed; she says as her father “grew young”, her son grew up.

Carol Eccles plays Emily the child, and also brings her own experiences of dementia to the production. Her family has a history of dementia; however, she remembers seeing it reflected through her family’s medical, practical gaze rather than the care aspect the play explores. Being a touch older than her character, Eccles said it invites the audience to use their imagination.

“It’s not in a literal space at all this work, it’s more a lyricism so you can have someone playing a five-year-old by being an older woman, being the person you’re going to become but I also get to stomp around and wear gumboots and throw things,” she said.

Eccles plays many roles within the play including Angela, a Bunraku puppet who can only be seen by those living with dementia. She said the character opens a window to ask whether joy and hope live within dark times and to show there is meaning to all moments, even if they are difficult.

A truly Canberra production, the play allows the audience to see themselves reflected in both the characters and their experiences at local attractions. The bickering between family members, and the family member who refuses to accept what is going on, create a raw and heartfelt portrayal of the experience.

The women said it was tricky to pinpoint who would benefit most from seeing the play; they believe it would be beneficial for those who may be coming to an age where dementia is a possibility, for them to see the magic that might be around the corner for them. At the same time, it is an opportunity for the rest of the community to see the ways that you can be present with someone who has dementia.

“There’s a wonderful opportunity to be seen and reflect on your own experience, go ‘this is worthwhile’ – all the big flavours and colours of life are in it. It’s not when we go back to normal or when it gets good. It’s a chance to see beauty or the sublime in your own life,” Eccles said.

Experience the journey of dementia in Demented at The Q, Queanbeyan, 17-20 August; theq.net.au

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