‘Unforgettable’ care home play comes to Leeds

A play about the plight of care homes during the pandemic will be showcased in Yorkshire this month.

Having premiered at the House of Parliament in the autumn thanks to support from Fabian Hamilton MP and Leeds Care Association who commissioned the play, ‘Unforgettable: Telling the Care Home Story’ now comes to Leeds on 16 February.

Penned by award-winning playwright, Brian Daniels, ‘Unforgettable’ tells the story of a care home manager who is constantly barraged by phone calls and an older gay woman who is uncertain about her future and whether she can be true to herself if she goes into a care home.

Brian Daniels said: “I wrote the play in response to the pandemic and the difficulties care homes faced especially care workers who had to deal with some really difficult and challenging situations such as continually changing guidance, restrictive visiting practices to protect people in the care home and people who they have come to know dying on their watch. It was a terrible time for the sector.

“As we’re now learning from the Covid Inquiry, we mustn’t marginalise or minimise what’s happened and we must make sure we learn from it so we prevent it in future.”

As well as being entertaining, the play is educational and informative and aims to raise awareness of the issues, especially concerning older people. The performance will be followed by a discussion by an invited panel of guests plus a Q&A with the audience which is an integral part of the event.

The play will show at 2.30 pm on 16 February at Chapel FM Arts Centre in Seacroft and is free to attend. Seats can be booked via UNFORGETTABLE – TELLING THE CARE HOME STORY – Chapel FM

Gerrard Binks Photography