We are delighted to announce John Killick has written an article about 'Dementia the Musical' in the Journal of Dementia Care.   "John Killick sings the praises of ground-breaking production written by Ron Coleman and involving three founder members of the Scottish Dementia Working Group".

FULL ARTICLE 

John Killick sings the praises of a ground-breaking production written by
Ron Coleman and involving three founder members of the Scottish Dementia
Working Group. The show played two sell-out performances in Edinburgh, then
went on to tour throughout Scotland. Its message has wide relevance, and artistic
experiences of this quality are a powerful way to influence hearts and minds.

On 6 June 2001 in Glasgow the first Scottish presentation on dementia by people with the condition was given. I know, I was there.  

So was James McKillop, one of the three protagonists of this musical. Agnes Houston and Nancy Macadam joined later, and the Scottish Dementia Working Group (SDWG) was formed. This may have been the first homegrown pressure group of its kind in the world; it was certainly the first movement of its kind in the UK. Over the next twenty years or so the Group grew in size and influence and has had a profound effect on the debate and the provision of services in Scotland and, through its speaking engagements, across the world.

On 12 October 2024 in Edinburgh the premiere of Dementia: the Musical was given to the first of two full houses. I know, I was there. So were all three of the subjects. Further performances have happened across Scotland, the last of which was in Paisley on 9h November.

So was this fundamentally, a historical account of an important social and medical occurrence? Well an awareness of an eventful couple of decades was certainly there, but this of itself would have lacked dramatic impetus.

The decision was taken by the author of the book (Ron Coleman, a man with the diagnosis from Stornoway) to adopt an activist scenario in which the three characters, James, Agnes and Nancy (who incidentally are today still living in their own homes) are facing the prospect of being taken into care. The state does not recognise the contribution to society they have made, and an interlocutor has been appointed to cross-question them about their attitudes. The European Bill of Human Rights has been replaced by a British Bill of Rights and this is being used by society, including care homes, to control all aspects of the lives of people with dementia. At the end the audience is invited to pronounce judgement on the case.

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