IN OTHER WORDS
Arcola Theatre
★★★★
“Seager and White give astonishingly convincing performances, both fearless in displaying emotions most of us would like to keep buried”
A little bit of trivia: “Fly Me to the Moon”, the popular standard made famous by Frank Sinatra in the 1960s, was originally titled “In Other Words”. In turn, the refrain has been fittingly adopted as the title for Matthew Seager’s play, which is as far away from ‘trivia’ as can be imagined. While the song may be bland melodic wallpaper in many people’s lives, this production tears it apart to reveal the bare bricks of the shattered lives of a married couple. The song brought Arthur and Jane together, and in their later years, it becomes the sole, delicate anchor that makes life bearable as they cope with the effects of Arthur’s Alzheimer’s.
Arthur (Seager) meets Jane (Lydia White) at a bar. He spills red wine down her white blouse. Not a great start but by the end of the evening they have enjoyed their first kiss. We are told this in flashback, then shown it in real time, and back again. The milestones of their relationship are dished up like a kind of memory game. Seager’s supple writing, enhanced by Andy Routledge’s sharp staging, play with the chronology – making time as unreliable and fragmented as the protagonist’s mind. Our emotions are similarly tugged in opposing directions. One moment we are disturbed and unsettled, the next we are thrown a line that wrenches a guilty laugh from our hearts. But most of the time our heart is breaking. Or melting. Seager and White give astonishingly convincing performances, both fearless in displaying emotions most of us would like to keep buried.
From that first kiss we are guided towards the teasing, middle years of a conventional love story. ‘Fly Me to the Moon’ has become a leitmotif used to defuse arguments. The couple talk to the audience as much as to each other, making us accomplices as well as witnesses to their story. The first indications of Arthur’s dementia are a fleeting shadow in the corner of the eye. He goes out to buy milk but forgets what he’s gone for by the time he reaches the shop. We’ve all done it, as Jane points out, and they both initially brush it aside. White’s portrayal of the guilt at not seeing the signs early enough is authentically heartbreaking. They both cover it up until it is too late. Seager’s later mood swings are brutally believable, and we are no longer merely onlookers as Iida Hägglund’s echoing sound design and Will Alder’s flashing lights draw us right into Arthur’s mind.
The inevitable cannot be avoided, and the poignancy with which the actors take us there is unsettlingly real; fear, denial, paranoia, anger and ultimately acceptance all having their moment to shine. Listening to, and enjoying music, is a universal experience that even the most damaged minds are not excluded from. Arthur and Jane discover the healing and comforting effects of their shared song. It is a sedative, yet it also awakens past memories which adds further comfort to the unhealing wounds. While the play shows us the effects, it rarely digs much deeper. Emotion is all, and insight takes a back seat. We are denied any real explanation – but ultimately, being spared the science becomes one of the show’s strengths. We do have, however, a vague questioning of the purpose of the piece. Despite the force of its ability to inform, entertain and uplift, we are still left with a sense of hopelessness.
Originally staged at the Hope Theatre in 2017, the play has since been translated into French by Thierry Lopez and Marie-Julie Baup (“Oublie Moi”) and has since been a fixture in Parisian theatres, winning four Molière awards. Being brought back to its London roots in the simple yet effective setting of the Arcola reminds us of the power of fringe theatre. We are gripped throughout by the pair’s outstanding portrayal. While all else sinks and disappears into the illness, we are left with the crackle of Frank Sinatra’s voice heard through Arthur’s earphones, and as Jane watches on, helplessly yet adoringly it is a heart-rending moment. Seager has taken on a delicate topic but is unafraid to handle it with an honesty that breaks it apart to reveal the heart of the matter.
‘In other words, please be true’ croons Ol’ Blue Eyes. This play certainly answers his plea. A truly evocative piece of theatre.
IN OTHER WORDS
Arcola Theatre
Reviewed on 19th May 2025
by Jonathan Evans
Photography by Tom Dixon
Last ten shows reviewed at this venue:
HEISENBERG | ★★★ | April 2025
CRY-BABY, THE MUSICAL | ★★★★★ | March 2025
THE DOUBLE ACT | ★★★★★ | January 2025
TARANTULA | ★★★★ | January 2025
HOLD ON TO YOUR BUTTS | ★★★★ | December 2024
DISTANT MEMORIES OF THE NEAR FUTURE | ★★★ | November 2024
THE BAND BACK TOGETHER | ★★★★ | September 2024
MR PUNCH AT THE OPERA | ★★★ | August 2024
FABULOUS CREATURES | ★★★ | May 2024
THE BOOK OF GRACE | ★★★★★ | May 2024
