Praising in the name of donations: Monica Dolan (Megan) and Vanessa Babirye (Nurse). Photo credit Manuel Harlan
Theatre: Jerwood Theatre Upstairs, Royal Court
Play: Plaques and Tangles
Playwright: Nicola Wilson
Director: Lucy Morrison
Review by Irenosen Okojie
There’s been a recent onslaught of plays (and films) about the ageing process. Alzheimer’s appears to be a particularly popular way to explore loss, memory and how we grapple with growing old, which leads us nicely to Nicola Wilson’s play Plaques and Tangles.
The story, which goes back and forth in time, centres on Megan (Monica Dolan) and Jez (Ferdy Roberts), a married couple. Megan’s mother suffered from early onset Alzheimer’s in her forties. Prior to dating Jez, Megan discovered that she was at risk of developing the condition herself due to a gene.
She jokes about it to Jez when they first meet as their younger selves (played by Robert Londsdale and Rosalind Eleazar). Seductively smoking a cigarette on a set of stairs outside a nightclub, she is unaware of the ramifications this moment will have on their future selves and the lives of their children.
As Megan approaches her forties, serious questions arise which can no longer be ignored. If she takes the test and discovers she’ll have the condition, is it fair to keep it from her family? How will this impact her children and grandchildren? And what will this mean for her day to day existence psychologically and physically?
Spanning several time periods, the story unravels in a non-linear way. It’s a clever device used to reflect on and highlight Megan’s increasingly fractured memories as she struggles to decipher between her recall of actual important events in her life, and her delusion.
Plaques and Tangles also raises some interesting questions about memory. Can we ever have a truly accurate recollection of the past, or are we just reinterpreting our memories each time?
It’s a gripping, powerful piece of theatre and frenetic in feel and structure, which suits the subject matter. It’s also a genuinely moving play, providing a touching and authentic depiction of a family attempting to cope with taking care of a young mother losing her grip on reality.
Alzheimer’s may not seem like the most exciting of topics, but herein lies playwright Wilson’s strength. She has taken a familiar subject and presented it in an inventive way. Monica Dolan plays Megan with passion and verve. The casting of Rosalind Eleazar as the younger Megan is a stroke of genius; she adds a quiet dimension to the piece.
With strong, compelling performances from the supporting cast, Plaques and Tangles is must see piece of theatre.
Plaques and Tangles is at the Royal Court until 21 November 2015.