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Tea With Mamgu Review by Richard Perkins
This is an important play about dementia. What happens when the head begins to
wander when moments of half grasping that one is confused and worried are
interspaced with being at home in your memories of a long time ago.
‘Waiting for my friends I am’ Mamgu repeats as a mantra conveys the idea that she
is aware that something is amiss and that others, as well as she herself, can see
this. But in a minute friends will turn up and help to confirm her personhood to herself
and to any onlookers who happen to be around. However we know differently. She is
at best waiting to go into an old people’s home.
With all her children working, Mamgu is being helped to pack up and move into a
home by her grandson. Later he alone seems to be the one frantically searching for
her as she wanders off. There are moments of complete cogency when Mamgu
recognises her grandson Dylan and his dutiful self but at other moments sees him as
a complete stranger and at others sees him as his namesake grandfather and
attempts intimacy with him.
During the action the long and recently dead do more than nuzzle up but come to
play a full and active part in the drama of the confused soul that is now Mamgu. This
is sometimes hilarious but also pathetic. Unlike a dream where the implausible
juxtaposes itself with the ordinary there is in the mind of this elderly confused lady,
the mother of many children, the ability to slip back in time into a world that has
within it the complete coherence of how things were. For Mamgu the past is usually
now. Even the near past where she was already losing her mind is recreated
amongst her life time friends in sharing once again the conviviality centred on the
Welsh tea ceremony. These friendships endure to sustain her and entertain us. The
fears and ambitions of youth, the amourous adventures and later on the gossiping
goings on sustain Mamgu and entertain and amuse us. The characterisation of these
three women was brilliantly achieved by the script and by good acting. These
enduring friendships between women of very different backgrounds and personalities
did feel to endow the piece with genuine welshness. Some of the accents were a
little hit and miss, but this was a really good play dealing brilliantly with a very difficult
subject, funny and moving at the same time.
Audience feedback
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I absolutely adored it – nothing has ever made me cry so natureally outside of
film. Hilarious, thought provoking and very real. A true testament to anyone
who’s ever had and loved a nan.
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Fantastic show! Emotional, funny and very well written. Excellent acting,
timing was great
Fantastic Play, well done all!
Superb! Very Moving excellently written and delievered.
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A very enjoyable performance both sad and funny. Time went by so quickly
watching the play. Would love to see it again. Thank you for a lovely evening.
Great play funny but emotional, Lizzie Hastings excelled.
Gripping dialouge and excellent acting made for an entertaining evening.
Watching Dylan getting increasingly stressed by his Mamgu’s confusion was a
spookily accurate mirror image of my grandfather watching him slowly forget
who I am. The actors ability to demonstrate these emotions was second to
none! The balance between humor and the cold reality of watching a loved
one loose their mind was both honest and accurate.
Very Poignant. Particullarly enjoyed the relationship between the grandson
and Mamgu. Wanted to leap from my seat and rescue Mamgu at the end of
Act One.
A delightful show – I enjoyed every minute! Wonderful characters played by
amazing actors! Definatley one to recommend seeing again!
What an excellent play! Funny, entertaining and so well acted! Written
beautifully, with feeling and great humour! Brilliant!
Fabulous show- amazing actors and a wonderful script – what more is there
to say!! LOVED IT!!
Very well written and acted, you produced a smile and tears from me. You
have made the audience talk in depth about the subjects acted. Much
understanding of dementia is needed by the public and professionals alike.
You were able to speak on the same level to each member of the audience,
know that they felt touched by what you said. Acting was brilliant both young
and old characters.
A most enjoyable performance thoroughly enjoyed the evening. A magnificent
performance.
Excellent you were brilliant it did bring up memories from our past laughter
and hurt. Thank you.
Thanks – humorous poignant and sad a great balance. Well Done.
Excellent production! Very relevant to myself at present and was very moved.
Thank you!
An excellent production enjoyed it very much!
Wonderful acting. Made me reflect on my getting old. Very good.
Well presented. Much food for thought. Very sincere acting.
Very cleverly interwoven. Brilliantly acted. Thank you.
Tea with Mamgu, letter to the director and organisers of Tongwynlais
performance
Upholding a long tradition of strolling players, four very professional young actors
sponsored by the London Welsh Society brought this story to Tongwynlais parish
hall on Friday September 2013th
The audience were expecting to have an evening to enjoy; relishing an evening
away from the TV, an evening to witness live entertainment provided by young
people at the outset of their professional carers. The evening provided well worth
attending. the script, directions was excellent as was the acting .but enjoyable No .It
was a most disturbing and wonderful experience.
The central character of the play was Jinny (Jennifer) an elderly lady suffering from
dementia. The theme of the play can be summed up by Jinny's repeated phase
'' I don't know where I am'' Play divided into Two Acts. act one in which the
audience intrudes on conversations over cups of tea between Jinny and here two
long standing friends Cynthia and Sheri. we realised quickly that Jinny is in a world
of here own. Able at times to understand her friends conversations and yet at times
to be completely unaware of the 'dark uncomfortable subjects they are discussing.
Such conversations which led to a quarrel and the walking out of friends Jinny is
left alone
'' I don't know where I am ,will somebody help me''
Act two sees Jinny back in time. Her friends are now young girls (ladies ) looking
forward to adulthood marriage and babies . Cynthia is pregnant and has to be
married quickly before the whole village is shocked at the daughter of the local
minister havening a child out of wedlock. Yet Jinny is '' not with it'' not in that world.
She is in the world of a proud grandmother ( Mamgu ) extolling the virtues of Dylan
''off to University hopes to play for the county ''in the midst of all this 'muddled'
conversations, there is poignant moment when Dylan (senr.)begins his tentative
verbal courtship of the young Jennifer . one was very much reminded of the same
kind of courtship which like Jinny and Dylan (senr.) ended in the pictures on a
Saturday night.
Throughout the play, the character Dylan(young) and Dylan (senr.) husband
appears and disappears-and Jinny doesn't know which from either .The young man
serving Jinny in the cafe becomes a very worried grandson who is unable to locate
where his grandmother is. In the final moments of the play he finds Mamgu in Tiggys
night club formally the cafe in which Jinny and Dylan (senr.) began their courtship
over a cup of tea and cheese cake. And the play ends where it began. Jinny waiting
for her friends Sheri and Cynthia ''they'll be here now in a minute''. ''Cynthia a stuck
up cow with a heart of gold and Sheri too good for her own good intentions. ''They'll
be here in a minute''. But they are dead . Yet for Jinny they are very much alive''
They'll be herein a minute.
To the outsider the world of Dementia can sometimes be seen as a horrendous
world. To those who suffer the illness it may be a safe world ,unaware off the
pressures of modern day living. It is also a lonely world'' I don't know where I am''.
Most of all it is a freighting world-for the victims of the illness and for the Dylan's of
this world- the carers and loved ones of Dementia/ Alzheimer's suffers .
No Tea with Mamgu was not an enjoyable evening ,but it was an evening not to
be missed. The author /director and the cast are to be highly commended and
congratulated for giving such a difficult subject an airing.
A goodly number of those present who saw the performance were of the same
age and of the same 'ilk' as Jinny Sheri and Cynthia and perhaps that is why the play
affected some more than others. Dementia is a subject that we cannot escape from.
As we sometimes lose our memories our selves, we may need to be reminded
forcibly perhaps that there are many in our society who suffer terribly from this
illness. Dewi's play brought to life by Elizabeth, Ceri , Emily and Chris did just that
Diolch y fowr iawn
(Reverend Cannon)
Neville.G Jones
September 2013
Valentines Comment Cards and Feedback
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Very interesting and thought provoking
I have never seen testicles like that
Great production, very well directed. The stories were wonderful with great
character development. Special praise to Angelica. I did think there was too
much narration and the speeches at the end were too long and drawn out. I
would like to see this play get an extension.
Valentine’s day treat! Everyone should see this- very strong message in the
play that speaks volumes about the world we live in. Very brave, very well
doneIt is so inspiring to see work like this. Especially in London. I would love the
opportunity to see this again and bring along my peers. GREAT!
Loved it! Gritty and REAL! Well done the Welsh Centre!!!
Angelica was amazing! Enjoyed the story, enjoyed the characters. Think
some could have been a bit more coherent sometimes less is more. Overall
enjoyed. Inspiring working piece.
Brilliant evening! Thought provoking and involving. Especially Act 2 It should
move on for a run.
To all the cast a fantastic show!! Thoroughly well done, thought provoking well
done!
Enjoyable Play. Well performed. It deserves to be seen by more people.
Excellent –
me some “food for thought!”
The Big Guy was really good! The scene with Lucy was very powerful. Well
done to all!
This play ought to be compulsory viewing for ALL schools. Slight criticism the
scene in which the gay Nazi was forced to eat his own testicles was too
understated. The Narrator didn’t engage enough and was difficult to
understand.
A most enjoyable evening. The theme of the play had a strong message and
gives cause for debate. Well done all involved.
Good play. Felt like there was a purpose for it to be done.
I almost cried. Twice. Very good performance, will stay with me for a long
time.
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Thank you to David and the cast for such a good performance and a very
pleasurable evening - most enjoyable. The Welsh Black stout wasn't too bad
as well.
Thanks for a really interesting night last night. A great and provocative
alternative to the usual valentine stuff.
Night Must Fall Audience Feedback
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Next time I want to see the severed head! Well done all!
A beautiful cast and obviously a clear creative passion from the director.
Would love to see this group develop further work. So glad to see the centre
put to such good use!
What can I say? You did the Centre extremely proud!!! It was great to see the
cast from a different perspective, because now I understand when people said
you were all brilliant last year! Every one of you is talented and can really act.
I was utterly CREEPED THE HELL OUT and amused throughout. To the
directors production re-creating well known plays each year IS A MUST. The
familiar draws crowds but it also allows you to be creative with an original
piece. Definitely need more of this at the Centre- theatre in every capacity.
Love you all – you are ACE
Marvellous performance! Can’t rate it highly enough. Looking forward to the
next evening.
Really enjoyed all the characters. Really well cast. I really enjoyed the
performance. Thank you to all involved.
All the hard work was well worth while – well done to Dewi and his cast.
What a fantastic evening’s entertainment. When’s the next one?
An absolutely fantastic production I was on the edge of my seat! More please
guys!
Congratulations, brilliant acting and extremely creepy. I was thoroughly
spooked.
Wonderful show, well done there should be solo curtains so each actor gets a
round of applause.
Enjoyed, I love you Evans xx
Very well performed and highly entertaining.
Excellent performance by the whole cast not a mean feet for a three hour
play! Keep it up!
An incredibly professional, moving and engrossing performance.
Really entertaining, well-acted and enjoyable. Well Done!
Wonderful performance, enjoyed, great acting. Liz Bingham.
“Night Must Fall” - Fabulous cast – Unbelievably good acting – will haunt me
tonight – Wonderful!
Well Done!