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Portraying dementia
How we think about dementia is determined by what we have experienced, what we know and what we have seen. This page focuses on how dementia is portrayed on stage and screen.
On this page we:
- introduce a new one-act opera, 'The Bridge', about the experience of living with dementia
- hear people with dementia and carers answering the opera cast's questions
- watch our documentary film, 'The World Turned Upside Down', about dementia and communication
The emotions of the person with dementia came across very powerfully and his need to be heard.
A member of the audience after watching 'The Bridge'
The Bridge: A new one-act opera about living with dementia
As part of a project funded by the Arts Council of Wales, we worked with librettist and director Marian Bryfdir and composer Dr Edward Wright to create a new one-act opera. 'The Bridge' was performed twice in spring 2023: once in English and once in Welsh.
As Edward writes, "‘The Bridge’ follows a man’s progress through early diagnosis and the experience of living with Alzheimer’s. It is part fantasy, part fractured memory, and the meeting of research and real life as we gain insight into the existence of the main character and the world that unfolds around him."
Click on the image below to watch the opera. It is 44 minutes long.
Want to pretend you're watching it in the theatre? You can access the programme below and read more about the production.
Click here to download the English opera programme.
Cliciwch yma i lawrlwytho'r rhaglen cymraeg.
Real-life experiences and representations of dementia
Not all productions speak to people with lived experience of dementia to help them portray it authentically and honestly. This can be upsetting because those portrayals could influence how other people think about dementia.
In creating the opera, we involved the ALWAYs group, which is made up of people living with dementia and carers. They advised in the initial stages when we put in the funding bid. Those who were interested were then further involved in the project itself.
In the following two videos, you see members of the ALWAYs group answering questions the opera cast had about dementia. This helped the opera singers portray their characters more effectively.
In this first video, they discuss:
- what it feels like when you cannot remember something
- how they reacted to the news of the dementia diagnosis
- the most useful things to be aware of when communicating with a person living with dementia
Click on the image below to watch the video. It is 33 minutes long.
After our original meeting, the cast still had questions. Our ALWAYs group were really keen to answer them! Therefore, we held a couple more Zoom sessions so that we could answer everything. In this video, they share their experiences of:
- the physical signs of dealing with dementia
- being treated differently when someone knows you have a dementia diagnosis
- medical professionals not always listening to them
- remembering the emotion of an experience, rather than what happened
Click on the image below to watch the video. It is 1 hour 11 minutes long.
The World Turned Upside Down: A documentary film
‘The World Turned Upside Down’ is a production about communication around dementia. It began as a stage play performed live three times with audience involvement. We filmed the rehearsals, the process of learning about dementia, the performances and reflections. This was then turned into a documentary film. There are many situations involving individuals and their family members, or individuals and healthcare professionals, where the outcome relies on what is communicated, and how. This film explores these challenges.
So that the play and film took a realistic look at dementia, our ALWAYs group were involved throughout the process. They helped to pick the initial scenarios, helped to audition and train the actors, and were part of the film-editing process. You will see them in the film.
'The World Turned Upside Down' invites you to reflect on:
- why and how conversations can go badly or work well
- what helps to maintain good conversations
Click on the image below to watch the video. It is 1 hour 21 minutes long.
We have also created a screening pack which is designed to help you start conversations among your audience, whether that’s family, colleagues, or peer supporters.
Click here to download 'The World Turned Upside Down' screening pack.
There have been several public screenings of our film. It can create a wonderful community event and provide an important opportunity to have honest conversations about dementia. We have created a 'Running a screening guide' to help you hold your own event.
Click here to download the 'Running a public screening of "The World Turned Upside Down"' guide.
We commissioned Willy Gilder, who lives with dementia, to create the poster for 'The World Turned Upside Down'. His eye-catching artwork helped intrigue and draw in new audiences.
This play made me realise that a balance must be struck between the person with dementia and their family: the needs of their condition and their own independence.
A member of the audience after watching 'The World Turned Upside Down' live in Exeter
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Portraying dementia
You can print a paper version of this resource by clicking the button below.
