Theatre Hullabaloo’s Creative Producer, Miranda Thain, explains the story of Angel and why she thinks it’s an important story for young audiences.
“I first read Kevin Dyer’s play, which was originally titled Fool on the Hill, two years ago and was immediately struck by how beautifully he had crafted this very unusual friendship between an eccentric old woman called Miriam and a lonely tomboy kid, Bill. The friendship is unusual, not just because of our characters, but because, outside of families, young people rarely spend time with older people. This is one of the reasons that I think the play is important because the relationship shows us that, however great the age gap, we can still play and laugh and enjoy each other’s company.
The play is also important because it shows us the devastating effect of dementia on the life of Miriam, who is funny and witty and brilliant, as she struggles with the frightening reality that she can no longer remember. The play addresses the difficult question that many families face of how we appropriately care for older people – the battle between institutionalised tidiness of the elderly and the fear that they are not safe. This is a play based on a real woman who lived in a house just like the one in the story. It is always a privilege for a company to premiere a great new play, but Angel is particularly special. It is a timely play for us all”
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