An Old Song, Half Forgotten is a mesmeric piece of theatre honouring an incredible life on the stage. Our two performers, Bryan Murray and Matthew Malone, conduct themselves beautifully on stage. Quite often they even perform simultaneously, delivering lines in unison to reflect how they are both playing different ages of the same character ‘James’. This play brings us into the mind of a performer with Alzheimer’s, reflecting back on his life and attempting to bring everything back with his younger self alongside him. This emotionally gripping piece is particularly poignant as Bryan Murray himself was recently diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. When interviewed about his diagnosis, Murray said he was worried he would never perform again, but the playwright Deirdre Kinahan composed this piece, with the intention of bringing him back to where he has performed for decades before.
The scoring of this piece is heartfelt and diagetic, the actors react to each crescendo. The musicians sit to the side of stage, and the music accompanies both the atmosphere of the piece and the rising emotions our character feels as he relives significant moments of his life. It is emotionally gripping to see the reaction of both his present day and younger self, and how even though their mind may be altered by age, their emotional self is still very much intact.
The set design is minimal and simplistic, but is moveable, making the abstract set a perfect backdrop to the multiple periods in time we are taken to by our performers. As the set is not overwhelming, we are really drawn into the words and emotions of the piece.
Having both the present day and younger self of the main character is incredibly effective in storytelling. With both selves on stage, we can see how the events of his life shaped him, but also emotionally impacted him in later life. The script features some broken words and emotions uttered alone, reflecting the broken memories that they try to piece together. His younger self gently guides him through his own memories, as though it is a difficult passage for his older self who wishes to recall them.
We can sense the frustration he feels with his own mind and with the world around him, with genuine displays of anger, hope and heartbreak. This piece really leaves you with a feeling of deep emotion, both for the piece itself and for the actors on stage, as we can see how it can in some ways reflect their reality. Overall, the play is deeply impactful and the actors are truly something to see, delivering one of the most honest performances I have seen on stage.
The Review's Hub Score
Mesmeric
