"These are stories we don’t often get a chance to hear – indeed they are often the hardest stories for people who have had strokes to articulate until they are set to music. Music seems to tap into a part of the brain that sets language free, the rhythm allowing words to flow where they are normally stumbled over"
Written after a series of workshops with stroke recovery groups, Parkinson’s community groups and dementia healthy living clubs and inspired by Natalie Abrahami's production of Wings by Arthur Kopit, Sing Before You Speak Again was staged this November.
Sing Before You Speak Again's director Thomas Martin explained a little more about the production which took the form of an original choral song cycle written by Deanna Rodger and Joseph Atkins.
Some of the text was verbatim, but most of it was poetic - in Deanna’s lyrical world, memories become motors, houses become ships tossed about on a cold sea, and brains become balloons to be popped or let go. Joe’s composition brings these images to life with rich and challenging harmonies, filled with cheeky echoes of our participants’ favourite artists - Bob Marley, The Beatles, Joni Mitchell.
Sing Before You Speak Again has taken us through a range of emotions with the hope that our audiences leave with a little more understanding of what having a stroke feels like and the often disorientating effects - Wendy, Participant
Following the week of performances some of the company took part in a series of special performances at community centres with Nunhead Dementia Cafe, time & talents and Stockwell Healthy Living Club who helped inspire the original songs that the creative team had met during their original workshops.
We had a great time @Time_Talents sharing songs from #SingBeforeYouSpeakAgain with some of the people who inspired the show pic.twitter.com/ONCRAJHHEa
— YoungVic Taking Part (@YVTakingPart)
It was so brilliant to have such great entertainment and even more special to meet the singers. - Nunhead Dementia Cafe
We're extremely grateful to some incredible local groups who opened their doors and allowed us to get involved. Our production wouldn't have been possible without the workshops and support of the following organisations, Aphasia Re-Connect, Southwark and Lambeth Parkinson's Support Group, Stockwell Healthy Living Club and Time & Talents.
