‘REMEMBER ME’ MUSICAL CONCERT: A REVIEW
SHOWTIME HIGHLIGHTS
The story smoothly weaved through past and present as the main theatrical symbol – the scarf, was passed between the two actors characterising the younger and senior version of our protagonist – Amah Lucy. Through the musical portrayal, we vicariously experienced the struggles of a senior, who is suffering from dementia. The musical creatively expressed the emotions associated with reminiscing the past using iconic golden era songs. To build up the theatrical conflict, this was contrasted with the frustrated emotions from the outsiders who perceived such actions as being trapped in the past. In actual fact, who are we to stop her from just reliving the best moments of her life?
The emotional journey of Amah Lucy tugs at the heartstrings of the audience as we saw how her hallucinations, mood swings and poor memory gradually thinned the patience of her son. Despite her child-like behaviours, her intentions were truly rooted in her unconditional love for her family. She remembered the mooncakes she promised her late husband before he departed on his ill-fated flight. She could barely remember her way home but she still managed to cook her son’s favourite fried rice.
Let’s relive the moments of the meaningful musical production back in 2018.
MEMORABLE QUOTES
“ Ma, 别怕. We are here with you, to take care of you. All my life you take care of me, now it’s my turn to take care of you. You only have dementia, you must not worry…”
These were the words of assurance from Amah Lucy’s son when she realizes her condition is causing much troubles and frustrations to her family and caregiver.
Key Takeaway #1: Ageing is an inevitable outcome. As we age, some of us may have our brain conditions deteriorating faster than the others. Normalize this process for the elderly and be there by their side when it happens.
“To be care-giver is very stressful, okay? One important skill care-givers must have is “SELF-CARE”. Must learn to relax and care for yourself. This is so that you can last longer, so that you can continue to be there for your patient.”
The caregiver of Amah Lucy voiced this out midway through the show.
Key Takeaway #2: At times, caregivers may be so caught up with looking after the elderly and neglected their own mental health. Self-care is important. Start by learning ways to unwind yourself from the frustrations.
Here’s something that might be useful for you: Midlife Challenges & Self Compassion Tips
“Amah, it’s ok. I will take care of you, I’ll remember everything for you. Amah, you won’t forget me, I’m your Ally. I’ll take care of you.”
Voiced by our talented child actor- Fleur, this was the line that moved our audience to tears.
Key Takeaway #3: Aptly summarised by little Ally at the finale – “Please remember all the people you love around you. Even if one day, your amah or ah gong, or your daddy, mummy cannot remember you, you must always remember and love them. The more they forget, the more we must remember them. They Forget, but They Are Not Forgotten. Because they love us, and we love them.”
VIGNETTES TO REALITY
The vignettes in the musical are adapted from real-life symptoms of an elderly with dementia. What can we do to cope with this better?
Age Well Everyday (AWE)
This holistic dementia risk prevention programme was brought up a few times in the show. Essentially, the programme was designed to delay cognitive deterioration, reduce anxiety and increase socialisation by engaging the seniors with active ageing. The activities include health education, physical exercise, mindfulness practice, art and music reminiscence, horticultural therapy, choral singing and therapeutic rainforest.
Beyond that, the e-learning programme serves as a vast resource for the caregivers as well. Through which, they will be able to learn more about how they can help the seniors and engage them in healthy ageing.
To participate in AWE program, please email pcmbox6@nus.edu.sg
WHAT’S COMING UP!
The inaugural curation at the Mind Art Experiential Lab, titled “Arts, Mindfulness & the Ageing Brain” will be launching real soon. In particular, we will be showcasing artworks by inspiring seniors, who remained active despite suffering from cognitive impairments. Be sure to look out for the featured diary that documented the struggles of a family member adapting to her father’s dementia symptoms.
The instructor held a photograph sharing session towards the end of the workshop and gave insightful feedback on how the snapshots can be improved, further solidifying the learnings.
Before the workshop recording is ready for public viewing, here’s another video for you to find out more about the content covered in the workshop!
