The Missing Piece

A brand new comedy drama delving into the sadness and smiles of a family living with dementia will be premiered at Sheringham in November.

It has been written by two local amateur actors whose own lives have been touched by the cruel condition – and was sparked by a dream. The Missing Piece focuses on the story of widower George Johnson who has been diagnosed with dementia, and his daughter Lizzie who is trying to care for him. They are played by Peter Blakeley, a retired company director from Colkirk near Fakenham, and Charlotte Pistorius, who lives at Sheringham where she teaches English and Media Studies at the High School.

Peter’s father and Charlotte’s husband’s grandmother have both lived with dementia, so the production, which will be performed by the Little Theatre Players on November 7-9 is close to both their hearts.

The plot follows the journey of George and Lizzie over two years. He is struggling with his emotions, confusion, memory loss, and is regressing to Lizzie’s childhood. She is trying to care for him, and resisting help, but sees her own life being put on hold.

Charlotte and Peter have acted together in the past, and she explained: “I had a dream about us both being on stage as a father with dementia and his daughter – and began to picture it as a play while driving to work.” When she mentioned it to Peter he urged her to write it down, and they worked on it together by bouncing emails back and forth. When am dram friends raved about the emerging play at an initial read-through they forwarded it to Little Theatre director Debbie Thompson, whose daughter Katie used her own directing skills to suggest ways to make it even better.

“When Debbie said the play was really good and gave us a slot to stage it we were thrilled. We thought it might just be a show for village halls. It means so much to do it at Sheringham,” added Charlotte, who has also helped at the venue supporting youth drama sessions, and volunteering in the Hub.

The poignant play is also laced with gentle humour. Peter explained: “Dementia sufferers do some silly things and can laugh at themselves in the early stages. Life is a whole range of emotions.”

The Missing Piece is now in rehearsals with a seven strong cast – and a pre-recorded cameo spot by Charlotte’s eight year old daughter Alex.

Shows are at 7.30pm with a 2.30pm matinee on the Saturday. Tickets are £13 via www.sheringhamlittletheatre.com or the box office 01263 822347.