A tragic romance story about dementia set to the backing track of Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon, In Other Words is a veritable tearjerker.
This tragic romance story about dementia is a veritable tearjerker
The four-time Molière Award-winning play, written by Matthew Seager, explores the lives of married couple Arthur and Jane, as they hop through time to narrate their earliest meet-cute and subsequent years together.
Even knowing little about the show beforehand, it is clear from the start that the tale is a fated one. The set design is stripped back, save for plush lounge chairs and dusky lighting that reveal hints of nostalgia, aligning with the script’s old-school romance.
At first, our characters sway to Sinatra’s tune while gazing into each other's eyes. Soon, however, Arthur’s disease takes hold, our actors are thrown into strobe lighting and sound distortion, and we shift back in our seats.
As each scene tracks further and further towards Arthur’s decline, the pair’s love is tested. The only levity comes from the couple’s overarching narration at critical moments. Beyond that, the script reads matter-of-fact, like the neurologist’s diagnosis, with rare moments of deeper musing. In Other Words risks becoming too dry and numbing in parts.
The actors, however, keenly shake us back to life, with Matthew Seager as Arthur showcasing versatility as he battles through fear, anger and confusion, all while clinging on to his soft, self-deprecating character until, finally, he gives way to bumbling catatonia. Lydia White as Jane is equally sympathetic, in a beautifully stoic portrayal of bereavement.
Should you ever see this play, make sure you take tissues.
