An Old Song, Half Forgotten
Cast: 2m
Staging: Single interior (day room of a nursing home)
Amateur rights performance fee: £60 per performance (plus VAT where applicable)
20 Apr 2023
An Old Song, Half Forgotten
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- Pratchett Prize for challenging the stigma of Alzheimer’s Disease - 2024
A play that opens a window into the life and soul of an older actor who is living in care with Alzheimer's disease, rebuilding a man just as he begins to crack and fade.
Deirdre Kinahan's short play An Old Song, Half Forgotten was first staged by the Abbey Theatre, Dublin, in April 2023, performed by Bryan Murray.
In 2024, Deirdre Kinahan and Bryan Murray were jointly awarded the inaugural Pratchett Prize for challenging the stigma of Alzheimer's Disease through the play.
The play is also available in the collection Deirdre Kinahan: Shorts.
Note for performers: The play is written to be performed by an actor with Alzheimer's, supported throughout by the second actor, as well as by onstage notebooks that are referred to in the script. It is envisaged that these notebooks will contain the script, and be placed around the set to allow for movement whilst the actor reads his lines. He may also choose to use an earpiece as an additional aid.
'A compelling celebration of a life'
Irish Times'A mesmeric piece of theatre that brings you into the mind of a performer with Alzheimer's... emotionally gripping and poignant... incredibly effective storytelling... deeply impactful'
Reviews Hub'A unique experience... smartly structured and truly moving'
Arts Review'Quite extraordinary... a remarkable new play... The writing beautifully balances the Alzheimer sufferer's crystal-clear memories of things long past with the fuzziness and confusion of day-to-day life... a beguiling piece of theatre full of quiet power'
Irish ExaminerCast: 2m
Staging:Single interior (day room of a nursing home)
Amateur rights performance fee: £60 per performance (plus VAT where applicable)
20 Apr 2023
