Award winning playwright Brian Daniels (Pluto Play Productions) play, relating to the plight of care homes during the pandemic will showcase in both Halifax and Huddersfield this month. Having premiered at the Houses 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 Yorkshire.
Commissioned by Calderdale Council it will show in Halifax on Wednesday 20th March at the Kings Centre (1-3pm). Likewise commissioned by the Kirklees Care Association, it will also be shown in Huddersfield on Thursday 21st March at the Hudawi Cultural Centre at 1.30-4.30pm.
The performances are open to anyone within Calderdale, Huddersfield, Kirklees and the wider area to attend and titled ‘Unforgettable’ tells the story of a care home manager who is constantly barraged by phone calls during the pandemic, and an older gay woman developing dementia who is uncertain about her future and whether she can be true to herself if she goes into a care home.
Recently performed at Chapel FM in Leeds, Emily Whitehouse from Social Care Today described the play, “Since 2020, it seems information regarding Covid-19 has been decorated by central government. We probably all remember watching the daily BBC updates from the comfort of our own homes. However, Brian Daniels’ latest production, Unforgettable: Telling the care home story, rightly directs the narrative back to medical staff and residents – the people who were arguably affected the most by the virus. This different perspective makes the performance a melancholic yet uplifting masterpiece”.
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.”
James Creegan, Chair of the Kirklees Care Association added, “Having seen the original showing of this play at the Houses of Parliament, I wanted other people in the region to have the opportunity to see it. It represents exactly what the care sector went through in the pandemic and provides an opportunity for open discussion and collaboration moving forwards to try and ensure that nothing like this ever happens again. Likewise it highlights the current plight in the care sector and challenges people are facing on a daily basis”.
As well as being entertaining, the play is educational and informative and aims to raise awareness of the issues, especially concerning older people. Both performances will also be followed by an informative panel discussion, which the audiences are welcome to take part in.
The performances are free and open to anyone working in the care sector from care homes to the NHS and carers. Anyone wishing to attend can book tickets via these link’s:
Calderdale on Wednesday 20 March:
https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/calderdale-council
Huddersfield on Thursday 21 March:
'Unforgettable - Telling The Care Home Story' Tickets, Thu 21 Mar 2024 at 13:30 | Eventbrite
https://www.plutoplayproductions.co.uk/
www.kirkleescareassociation.co.uk
