There is a myriad of ways in which love can be expressed. The love between Arthur and Jane in Matthew Seager’s 2019 play is a testament to the marriage vows, “in sickness and in health”. In Other Words examines a man’s gradual descent into dementia and unknowing – where his wife loses small aspects of the man she once knew so well but is still deeply in love with.

Produced by The Shrinking Violets and staged at Theatre Next Door, this incredibly poignant two-hander focuses on the changing dynamics in the relationship between a happily married couple. As Jane (Denise Mulholland) comes to terms with her husband Arthur’s (Jes Camilleri) degeneration of self to becoming a very different person, we see her changing role to that of sole carer, taking responsibility for his well-being. She loves him deeply nonetheless, for the man she still knows him to be, beneath the occlusions which have reduced him to a shell of his former self.

Chiara Hyzler, who had the pleasure of directing two highly skilled theatre practitioners, was aided by highly effective lighting design by Chris Gatt and by Matteo Depares’ hauntingly beautiful soundscape design and production – which was essential to create the nuanced shifts in mood and tonality in the play. The title itself, is taken from Frank Sinatra’s Fly Me to the Moon – essentially a wonderful ode to love – the kind of love a smitten man has for the woman he adores. And this is the basis of Arthur and Jane’s love: two people who were lucky enough to have found each other and whose relationship is threatened and then changed by the ruthless slow creep of dementia, which attacks indiscriminately, mercilessly and for which there is no cure.

'In Other Words' is about love that goes beyond all. Photo: Albert Camilleri

In a panel discussion following the performance on press night, Denise Mulholland stated that playing Jane was personal to her because she experienced the trauma and sadness that Jane felt, with a much-loved family member, and that revisiting those emotions, while terribly hard, was significant to her because of the awareness that The Violets wanted to create around a sensitive topic that practically touches everybody. Indeed, as part of their outreach programme, The Violets have launched Connections – a podcast series delving into different aspects of dementia supported by Arts Council Malta, with help and input by the Malta Dementia Society.

Powerful as it was, 'In Other Words' has a message that goes beyond dementia awareness

Mulholland’s genuine, raw and poignant version of Jane was beautiful to watch technically, and very hard emotionally: which is precisely what was required of a part like this. Her dynamic with Jes Camilleri’s Arthur was a clear example of their commitment to a realistic portrayal of the onslaught of this terrible affliction.

Camilleri’s own exploration of Arthur’s loss of self is upsetting to see for all the right reasons: he was masterful in his approach and dealt with it sensitively and respectfully. What the audience saw on stage was a very good overview of what happens to a person who suffers from dementia. The musical interludes provide respite from his gradual descent into memory loss and show intimate flashes of his loving relationship with his wife. Sinatra’s crooning offers an even more poignant backdrop to Arthur and Jane’s dynamic and both Camilleri and Mulholland could not have executed their parts better.

Camilleri’s own exploration of Arthur’s loss of self is upsetting to see. Photo: Albert Camilleri

Powerful as it was, In Other Words has a message that goes beyond dementia awareness. It is about how our capacity to love overcomes the hardships that life throws at us and how, in spite of the heartache that naturally accompanies the shift from a relationship between equals to one of caregiver and dependent. The loss that Jane feels for the man she loves as she sees him ravaged by a degenerative illness neither one has control over, is devastating. But it is her persistence and her presence as a constant in his life, that makes her love for him truly strong, and in his rare moments of lucidity, Arthur’s complete devotion and love to his wife are as clear as hers.