Maggie May | Pre-show Information Pack by Curve Theatre

Pre-show Information Pack for Maggie May Tuesday 7th – Saturday 11th June

Box Office Telephone: 0116 242 3595 Box Office Email: tickets@curvetheatre.co.uk Address: Curve, 60 Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1SB

Contents Hello and What is a Dementia Friendly Performance?.......................................2 About the Show…………………………………………………………………………………..…………..3 Useful Information……………………………………………………………………………..……………4 Maggie May - The Story……………………………………………………………………..………5 - 10 The Cast……………………………………………………………………………………………..……………11 Getting to Curve…………………………………………………………………………….………..12 - 13 Visual Story: Your visit to Curve…………………….…………………………………………14 - 22 Venue Map……………………………………………………………………………………….…………….16 Production Gallery…………………………………………………………………………………….……23

Hello! We are looking forward to welcoming you to Curve for Maggie May. This pack is designed to give you more information about the performance and our theatre ahead of your visit.

What is a Dementia Friendly Performance? Dementia Friendly performances are tailored to meet the specific needs of people living with dementia, including:

• • • • •

Adaptations to the show, including lighting, sound and design Clear visual markers and signage around the theatre A relaxed attitude to movement and audience responses during the show Dementia-aware staff on hand to support audience members throughout their visit Provision of quiet spaces before, during and after the show 2

About the Show Maggie May is a story of adapting to life with a diagnosis of dementia and audience members living with dementia are welcome at every performance. The show has been carefully made with the involvement and guidance of people living with different types of dementia, and their ideas have been crucial in making this play as dementia friendly as possible. This includes influencing the story, technical design elements, colour choices in the set and costumes, sound and music, and captioned reminders to guide people from scene to scene. We hope people with dementia will see themselves represented and feel supported and hopeful after attending the play. We invite all our audience members to be part of building the dementia friendly spirit of the show by creating a calm, supportive and friendly environment for customers with dementia. If you’d like to find out more, you can sign up to be a Dementia Friend at www.dementiafriends.org. Our team of friendly, dementia-aware staff will also be on hand to support you during your visit. Please speak to any member of our team if there is anything we can do to make your visit feel more comfortable.

Useful information Maggie May contains a naturalistic portrayal of adapting to life with dementia in the first year after diagnosis. It also contains occasional strong language. The age recommendation for the show is is 11+. The approximate running time for Maggie May is 2 hours and 15 minutes, including a 20-minute interval. Performances starting at 2pm will finish at around 4.15pm – 4.25pm. Performances starting at 7.15pm will finish at around 9.30pm – 9.40pm. There are different lighting states throughout the performance, with some moments in brighter lighting and other moments in darker lighting. The lights in the Studio will remain on at a low-level during the show, to allow people to leave and return to their seats safely. The Picture Booth will be available as a comfortable space for reflection It is located outside the Studio near Studio Door 5 for anyone who needs it. It is designed by Leeds Playhouse Resident Designer Warda Abbasi, to amplify the experiences of people living with dementia and their relationship to music. A larger image of The Picture Booth can be found on page 20.There will be two quiet spaces throughout your visit – the first is The Picture Booth and the second will be on our Mezzanine. Alternatively, you are welcome to take a seat in our Foyer. Our Visitor Experience team can help you find the spaces. Widgit Symbols © Widgit Software 2002-2022, www.widgit.com.

Maggie May – The Story Spoiler Alert! Below is a summary of the story of Maggie May. This might be helpful to read before you come to the theatre but you don’t have to if you’d like the story to be a surprise.

As day breaks, we meet Maggie and her husband Gordon. They are in bed. Maggie wakes and speaks about Gordon - who is recovering from a stroke before gently waking him. Maggie helps Gordon dress while he sings Mungo Jerry’s ♫ Maggie. She joins in with the song before suggesting they go downstairs for breakfast. A sticky note falls from the ceiling behind her. The note reminds her that her son Michael and his new girlfriend Claire are coming to visit for Michael’s birthday, so breakfast is put on hold. Maggie’s best friend Jo arrives at her door. Maggie isn’t expecting to see Jo today but invites her in with a sharp tone. Jo is upset because she just wants to keep in touch with Maggie, who hasn’t been returning her calls and messages recently. She tries to reconnect with Maggie through a joke, then community gossip, and soon the pair are chatting freely. Jo invites Maggie to a quiz and writes the details for her on a sticky note. She puts the note away as several other sticky notes fall to the floor. Jo questions the notes, which detail everything from recipes to conversation starters. She offers to put them into Maggie’s phone instead. As she enters the notes into the phone, Jo mocks some of the details and upsets Maggie, who shouts back at her friend. Hurt, Jo finishes the task and quickly leaves the house. Fifteen minutes before Michael and Claire are due to arrive, Maggie and Gordon are getting ready to welcome them. Maggie is concerned about the notes around the home and tells Gordon to hide them, but he refuses. It becomes clear the couple are hiding something from their son. 5

Michael and Claire ring the doorbell but his parents aren’t quite ready. Maggie and Gordon burst into song with Chairmen of the Board’s ♫ Give Me Just a Little More Time, as the younger couple let themselves in. Amongst the introductions, Michael receives his birthday voucher from his parents, whilst Claire has bought a gift for Maggie – a full set of Harry Potter books. Maggie also notices Claire’s dazzling gold trainers. They chat about Harry Potter and Claire describes the Dementors (dark creatures that feed on happiness). Maggie hangs on Claire’s every word with a look of fear in her eyes, as the room dims. Michael brings her back to reality by asking if she’s okay. Claire also explains she has tickets for Harry Potter and The Cursed Child in the West End the following year, inviting Maggie and Gordon to go with her, Michael and her Dad. Maggie asks why her Mum isn’t going, and Claire explains she passed away five years earlier. Maggie speaks to the audience, transported to her own space and time. She details her signature dish – ham in orange. She knows the recipe so well she can cook it without thinking but today it feels like she is cooking it for the first time. Her thoughts are interrupted by Michael re-engaging her in a conversation about Claire’s job. Following reminders on her phone, Maggie asks random questions before excusing herself to tend to the vegetables. On returning to the room, Maggie misnames Claire as Emily – Michael’s exgirlfriend – and asks how his new girlfriend is ‘running’ before realising she meant his Nissan car. Gordon notices Maggie is becoming distressed and begins singing Blue Swede’s ♫ Hooked on a Feeling to distract from the conversation. Speaking again to the audience, Maggie dotes on Michael and the lengths she go to protect him – even as far as lying. Sitting down to eat, Michael points out that Maggie has forgotten the creamy leeks she makes with ham in orange. She is disappointed in herself but Gordon says it was he who said not to make them to cover her forgetfulness. As they continue to eat, Maggie asks where Claire’s Dad lives and then where her Mum lives, not remembering their earlier conversation about her Mum’s 6

death. Gordon realises he can’t keep covering Maggie’s brain fog. Despite her protests they tell their son about her diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, which they have been keeping a secret. Michael, feeling betrayed, leaves the family home. Maggie tells the audience about Michael’s previous reactions to ill family members, before travelling to his house with Gordon. Michael is hurt about not being told of his mother’s Alzheimer’s and is frustrated about being made to talk to his Mum. As the chat continues, Gordon sings Marvin Gaye’s ♫ What’s Going On until Maggie and Michael both tell him to be quiet. Gordon is pleased they’ve agreed on something. On the quiz night, Jo explains to Maggie that Michael phoned her after learning of his Mum’s diagnosis. She explains he wanted to find out if he was the last to know, but actually it was Jo. Maggie didn’t tell her as she didn’t want to be looked at differently, and the pair get emotional. Maggie wants to go to the quiz, but there can only be four in a team and Jo has invited someone else. Jo says she will tell the organisers about Maggie’s diagnosis so she can sit with the group, but Maggie gets upset and explains she doesn’t want that. Jo tells Maggie aggressive behaviour is a symptom of Alzheimer’s and that it isn’t her talking. Maggie becomes more upset at this comment, tells Jo she hates her and leaves. Maggie wakes with brain fog. She is due to attend a dementia support group but wants to stay in bed. Gordon tries to encourage her but even a singalong to the The Beach Boys’ ♫ Wouldn’t It Be Nice doesn’t change her mood. Whilst Gordon goes to physiotherapy, Claire visits Maggie. As her fog continues, Maggie doesn’t recognise Claire. She becomes confused throughout their conversation in which Claire explains her and Michael have split up. Maggie begins to get distressed. Claire insists she should wait with Maggie until Michael arrives and tries to calm her by singing Terence Trent D’Arby’s ♫ If You Let Me Stay. She calms, but then a Dementor appears and Maggie recoils in delirium. Coming back to reality, Michael appears in the Dementor’s place.

Maggie is admitted to hospital with a water infection. Jo pops in to visit. Maggie recalls their fall out at the quiz night and apologises. They chat, with Maggie explaining differences in her daily life such as washing her purse in the sink instead of her hands. Jo tries to empathise by sharing some of the ‘stupid things’ she does like forgetting names and birthdays. Maggie asks her not to compare her scattiness with the impact of her own disease. Out of space and time, Maggie and Gordon sing Bryan Ferry’s ♫ Let’s Stick Together, accompanied by the other actors who appear as hospital staff in this scene. Audience members are very welcome to sing along. We break here for the interval. The play continues in the hospital, where Michael and Gordon are visiting Maggie. Both men are shaken after Maggie’s delirium but she tries to lift the mood with some light jokes. Michael isn’t in the mood for jokes, and they have a difficult conversation about how Maggie’s dementia might progress in the future. Now out of hospital, Maggie is reading whilst Gordon is asking her questions about end-of-life planning. Maggie doesn’t want to talk about it and drifts out of the conversation to reminisce about their second date. Gordon interrupts her thoughts and continues to ask about her later-life care. She agrees to have the conversation about end-of-life if Gordon will do it too. Gordon promises to be her advocate if things get bad in future. He also promises to read the Harry Potter books with her. Whilst he is preparing to read, Maggie is facing up to the Dementors again. As he finds his place in the book, she walks towards the Dementors, conquering them, and they back away into the darkness. It’s a new day, and Maggie and Michael are getting ready to go to the dementia support group. He thinks he is just dropping her off, but Gordon insists they go together (♫ Cliff Richard – Devil Woman). Maggie re-enters the room wearing gold trainers like Claire’s, to Michael’s disapproval.

The pair bicker about Michael and Claire’s split, with Michael explaining he’s haunted by the empty feeling she’s left behind. Maggie jots the phrase down on a sticky note. Michael leaves, feeling he’s being mocked by his mother. At Claire’s house, Maggie plays cupid. Claire mentions that Michael shut down after learning of his mum’s diagnosis. She hoped breaking up might force him to open up again and fight for her. Maggie hands her the note of what Michael said to prove how much Claire means to him.. Maggie also gifts Claire her gold trainers. Maggie says she’d rather have Claire’s shiny smile in her life instead of shiny shoes. Claire cries happily and offers to join Maggie at the support group. Maggie is delighted. Before they go to the group, Maggie offers Claire some advice about connecting with her dad by cooking for him the way Claire’s mum used to. After the group, Maggie and Claire return to the family home and tell Gordon about the activities, stories and resources shared at the meet. Their positivity is interrupted by the arrival of Michael, who is surprised to see Claire. He offers to take Maggie to the group the following week and suggests he and Claire might have to pretend to be siblings so they don’t confuse the group. Claire and Michael leave together, rekindling their romance. Jo arrives as Maggie and Gordon are crying at the death of a character in the fourth Harry Potter book. Jo is here to pick up Maggie for the quiz night. First Jo offers to read the blog Maggie has been writing to keep track of her memories. While Jo is busy reading, Maggie explains to Gordon she has a feeling of sadness - like something bad has happened - and can’t go. She becomes distressed whilst he remains positive, singing Jackson 5’s ♫ I’ll Be There. As Jo and Maggie get ready to leave, Gordon confirms that Maggie was right something bad did happen – a character died in Harry Potter. Maggie has already forgotten this, and Gordon becomes visibly upset, this tiny moment symbolising many other losses and challenges they are coping with. Maggie calls Jo for help but Gordon regains his composure to be strong again for Maggie. It’s Michael’s birthday again, and Maggie is telling Gordon about an access consultation she is doing as a Dementia Ambassador. Gordon is pleased Maggie 9

is having a positive, ‘sunshiny’ day, to which she agrees and explains she needs to get herself ready for the celebration. As they welcome Michael and Claire, the quartet sing Johnny Nash’s ♫ I Can See Clearly Now. They gift Michael a Polaroid camera for his birthday, before Claire volunteers to help with lunch. In conversation, Maggie asks Michael if he will re-ask a difficult question – ‘Will you forget me?’ – as she feels she lied to him when he first asked. She tells him her brain might not recognise him, but her heart will know him. Jo joins the celebrations, and the positivity amongst the group continues. Jo tells an awkward, dementia-related joke, which eventually makes the group laugh. In the laughter, Maggie begins to cry; she is overwhelmed being in the company of the group and doesn’t want to forget the moment. Similar to a penseive (a magic way to save memories) in Harry Potter, Gordon fetches a toolbox and presents Maggie with a screwdriver ‘wand’. He invites her to put all the memories she wants to keep in the box, whilst surrounded by the group. She places several memories in the box, and a photograph of the group from Michael’s Polaroid. Maggie and Claire continue cooking. Claire explains she followed Maggie’s advice recently and made kebabs for her Dad using her Mum’s recipe. The meal made him cry, bringing the pair together again. Maggie has forgotten advising Claire to do this but feels proud that her advice was valuable. Claire leaves as Gordon returns, asking Maggie why she is smiling. She feels she’s done a good thing and that she can change things for the better whilst living with dementia. The play ends with sticky notes falling all around her.

The Cast There are five actors in Maggie May. Their pictures are below. The actors’ names are in bold, with their character’s name beneath:

Eithne Brown Maggie

Shireen Farkhoy Claire

Mark Holgate Michael

Tony Timberlake Gordon

Maxine Finch Jo

Getting to Curve Our address is Curve, 60 Rutland Street, Leicester, LE1 1SB. Here is a map of where Curve is in the Cultural Quarter, and the surrounding area.

Getting here by Car The nearest car park to Curve is the NCP Rutland Centre Multi-storey Car Park, next door to the theatre. The address for the car park is 56 Halford Street, Leicester, LE1 1TQ. It has seven access spaces and a maximum height of 1.93m. Visitors to Curve can park at NCP Rutland Centre Multi-storey Car Park for a reduced rate of £5.50 – please validate your car park ticket at our Box Office during your visit. Payment can be made by card at the Box Office. Then simply place your ticket in the exit barrier on departure. Other nearby car parks include Queen Street Car Park (LE1 1QD, height restrictions apply), NCP Lee Circle (LE1 3RE, four access spaces, maximum height 1.93m) and Highcross John Lewis Car Park (LE1 4QJ, 70 access spaces, maximum height 1.98m). There is also a drop-off point outside our theatre.

Getting here by Bus All Leicestershire bus services have stops within a three to 10-minute walk of Curve. Services that stop on or near Humberstone Gate or at Haymarket Bus Station are the closest. Due to the temporary closure of St Margaret’s Bus Station, regional bus services are currently terminating at alternative stops around the city. For more information, please see www.leicester.gov.uk/media/5k3bqvgd/smbsreplacement-stops-map.pdf, or contact service providers directly for the latest information on your service. For more information on your nearest bus stop, visit the Leicester City Council website at www.leicester.gov.uk/transport-and-streets/travelling-by-bus/, or call Traveline on 0871 200 2233.

Getting here by Train Leicester Train Station is less than a 10-minute walk away via Charles Street. For the latest service information, please visit www.nationalrail.co.uk. 13

Visual Story: Your Visit to Curve Curve is a large, round building with a glass front, as shown below. The outside of Curve looks like this:

Halford Street Entrance

Rutland Street Entrance

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There are two main entrances into the building – one by our Green Room Café (Halford Street), and another by our Box Office (Rutland Street). Both entrances have a set of glass double doors. Both doors can be opened by pressing the silver button on the wall or rail, but the Rutland Street doors will open outwards automatically as you move towards them. There is level access into the building from both entrances. When you enter the building, you will be in the Foyer. Our Foyer is one big circle which wraps around our two performance spaces – the Theatre and the Studio. 14

As you make your way around the Foyer, you will notice lots of large pictures on the big red walls. This is our Production Gallery, and features pictures from previous shows here at Curve.

A number of automatic hand sanitiser points are available around the building. To use these points, simply hold your hand beneath the dispenser. Push dispensers are also available around the Foyer.

Before the show, there will be some loud announcements in the Foyer telling you how long it is until the show begins, and other useful information about your visit. These will be at a quieter level during the Dementia Friendly performance. It may also be noisy in the Foyer as other audience members will be arriving to see the show. There may also be another performance taking place in the Theatre at the same time.

Widgit Symbols © Widgit Software 2002-2022, www.widgit.com

Here is a map of the Ground Floor at Curve.

In the Foyer inside the Rutland Street doors, you will find our Box Office. This is where you can collect your tickets for the show or buy tickets if you have not already booked. Other audience members will also be collecting their tickets, so there may be a small queue.

Car parking tickets for cars parked in the NCP Rutland Centre Multi-storey Car Park next door to Curve can be validated at the Box Office for £5.50.

In the Foyer you will also find our Green Room Café. Here you can buy a drink, snack or ice cream to enjoy before the performance. There may be a small queue at the Café.

If you need to use the toilet before you take your seats, there are male, female and accessible toilets near the Green Room Café and Box Office. A gender neutral toilet is also available on Level M. Should you need a R.A.D.A.R key, one is available at the Green Room Café. The toilets look like this:

There is a Changing Places Facility with adult hoist on the Ground Floor next to Theatre Door 4. Please note you will need to bring your own hoist straps to use this facility.

You will be watching Maggie May in the Studio. Here is a picture of the seats in the Studio.

Balcony

Stalls

Your ticket will tell you if you are sitting in the Stalls (ground floor, enter through Studio Door 1 or 6) or in the Balcony (upstairs, enter through Studio Door 10). Your ticket will also tell you which door to enter through and where to sit.

If you are sat in the Balcony, you will need to take the stairs through the glass door just past Studio Door 6. There are 31 steps over three flights, split 11, 11, 9. There is a landing between each flight of stairs, travelling in an anti-clockwise direction.

A member of our Visitor Experience Team can help you find the right door and your seat by looking at the letters and numbers on your ticket. They will be wearing black shirts with a colourful Curve logo. There will also be additional staff on the day, wearing red t-shirts with a white Curve logo on the front, and ‘Happy to Help’ on the back.

Before you enter the Studio, we invite you to visit The Picture Booth outside Studio Door 5. The Picture Booth looks like this:

When you enter the Studio, the lights will be on and it may be noisy as the audience take their seats. You will need to pull the bottom of your seat down to sit on it.

Booster seats are available if you can’t see the stage comfortably, and a member of our Visitor Experience Team can get one for you. The team will also be happy to help you with anything else you may need to enjoy the performance.

When the show is about to start, the lights in the Studio will be dimmed but it will never go completely dark.

Whilst the internal doors to the Studio will close, the outer doors will remain open throughout the performance. You can leave the Studio at any time, and re-enter when you are ready.

If you would like a break from the performance, you are welcome to visit our quiet spaces at The Picture Booth (outside Door 5) or on the Mezzanine (accessible via stairs or lift). A member of our Visitor Experience Team can help you find your way.

After the show finishes, the cast will come back onto the stage and bow. The audience will clap to show the cast they enjoyed the performance.

At the end of the show, the lights will get brighter. Our Visitor Experience Team will let you know when you can exit the Studio, to ensure all audience members can leave the theatre safely.

Production Gallery – Photos by Zoe Martin

We hope you find this information pack helpful ahead of your visit to Curve. If you have any comments on this information pack, please email us on access@curvetheatre.co.uk. For more information about Accessibility at Curve, please visit www.curveonline.co.uk, or call our Box Office on 0116 242 3595. We look forward to welcoming you! This information pack was written by Nicola Allen, Audiences and Access Officer at Curve, in collaboration with Leeds Playhouse. Production Photography: Zoe Martin 24