Coinciding with National Dementia Awareness Week, Derby-born writer Tim Elgood’s new play Unforgettable is to start a tour at the city’s Guildhall Theatre.
Unforgettable was the winner of rural touring theatre company New Perspectives’ annual full-length playwriting competition Long Play 2014.
Unforgettable is the “moving story of the relationship between a brother and sister over the course of their lives”. It “sheds light on the effects of dementia on family relationships but is ultimately the story of Jed and Rosie, their revelations about growing up, growing old and a lifetime of rediscovery”.
A qualified social worker, Tim Elgood has dedicated the play to his mother-in-law who suffered from Alzheimer’s.
He said, “my career in social work has without doubt been an influencing factor of this play. Despite all the work I had done with elderly people, the situation is different when it’s on your doorstep. Having personal experience gives you a subjective insight, while in social work a lot of advice you’re giving is objective and theoretical.
“As we had a big family, we could provide care 24/7, but this process of organising care led me to think: what would happen if there were only two people dealing with the situation?
“I tried to not let Unforgettable become over-sentimental; I always try to look at the humorous side of situations, as the subject matter could easily lead to something that’s too dark and there’s a lot of humour in this play. I think the subject matter will strike a chord with a lot of people.”
Elgood’s plays include The Pros, The Cons and a Screw which was performed at Derby Theatre in 2009, Mother Came Too at Derby’s Guildhall Theatre in 2010 and Mad Dogs and an Englishman, also at the Guildhall, in 2014.
The cast is Lennox Greaves as Jed, Anna Lindup as Rosie, Adam Donaldson as young Jed and Hayley Doherty as young Rosie.
Director is Theresa Keogh, New Perspectives artistic director-on-attachment. Designer is Gem Greaves, lighting designer is Mark Pritchard and Drew Baumohl is sound designer.
Unforgettable starts its tour at the Guildhall Theatre, Derby from Wednesday until Saturday.
It then goes to St Christopher’s Church Hall, Nottingham on 28 May, Bonington Theatre, Arnold, Nottingham on 29 May, County Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire on 30 May, The Castle, Wellingborough on 2 June, South Holland Centre, Spalding, Lincolnshire on 3 June, Richmond Villages, Northampton on 4 June, Old Village Hall, Harrington Road, Northampton on 6 June, Geddington Village Hall, Kettering, Northamptonshire on 11 June, Gretton Village Hall, Corby, Northamptonshire on 12 June, Key Theatre, Peterborough on 13 June and the Glebe Field Centre in Tim Elgood’s home town Crich, Derbyshire on 14 June.