THE OLD HOUSE by Kate Maravan
Memory, loss, mother-daughter relationships and the hokey-cokey.
Revisiting The Old House, Mother and daughter hang on to fragments of what they know. Beach walks, fish and chips, carnival processions, echoes of bygone summers. Memories surface, slip away. A last chance to meet each other anew. Grief, laughter, liberation.
Written and performed by Kate Maravan The Old House is a solo show exploring how two womens’ journeys of loss and discovering new places of freedom are interwoven.
Inspired by Kate’s mother’s journey with Alzheimer’s The Old House explores the possibility that relating to someone with dementia can be a creative and meaningful exchange.A discovery of the person we are with now rather than an attachment to who we once knew and an alive connection to the present moment. How distinctions between well/ill, young/ old are less defined. Alzheimer’s has been described as a ‘never ending funeral’, The Old House gives us an understanding of the potential of Alzheimer’s to contribute and enrich..
Wonderful storytelling, multi role play, poetic, emotional, laugh out loud moments and a brilliant and evocative sound design.
Creative Team:
Director Kath Burlinson
Movement director Vincent Manna
Sound designer Adrienne Quartly
Reviews and Audience responses :
https://camdenvoyeur.wordpress.com/2018/08/17/review-the-old-house-at-the-
hen-and-chickens-camdenfringe/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
‘Maravan seamlessly switches between the role of mother and daughter, beautifully showcasing two distinct people on a bare stage.. The steady changes between scenarios are as natural as breath… interactions between mother and daughter flawlessly intersperse fragments of poetry.adding just the right amount of movement.. with some exquisite turns of phrase from Maravan’ - The Edinburgh guide
‘Elegant and beautifully performed one-woman show... In just an hour, we get a surgically precise analysis of a woman’s relationship to her mother...The Old House is a wonderfully revealing piece of theatre’- The Camden Fringe Voyeur
‘Stunning one woman show. Such adept storytelling and a masterful, multi-role performance’
‘Very moving and funny’
‘So much beauty and sadness and complexity and silliness and everything human’
‘What a stunning journey in transformation, authenticity, poetry, rage, fire, life -all of it: the joys, the sorrows, the endless pain and the endless light. It knocked me out and lifted me up in equal measures’
'I absolutely loved it and came away feeling so inspired and actually very uplifted despite the tragedy of the subject. How incredible to have the creative power to turn two such deeply tragic experiences into such a moving performance so that others can learn from these experiences'
‘The old house was so beautifully written and performed...took me through all the emotions being a carer. Thank you for remind-ding me to live each day in the moment and that life is fragile and a very precious gift’
‘Having had two parents descend into dementia, it struck a very deep and resonant chord.’
‘This is one of those shows that keeps you thinking days after the curtain has come down. A moving story of dementia, gain, loss, sorrow, joy and love. Some amazing physical theatre as well'
‘Still blown away by The Old House, sensational storytelling, physicality and acting’
‘Just saw the most joyful, soulful and deeply powerful piece by Kate Maravan about loss, love and mother daughter relationships, cannot recommend it enough’
Performances:
Digital runs 2020/2021 Tristan Bates OnDemand Season and Brighton Fringe. Online Offie nominated.
September 2019 Aldeburgh Cinema, High Tide Festival
September 2019 Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh
July 2019 Theatre 503
January 2019 Asthall manor, Oxfordshire. 19th January.
Camden Fringe August 2018 Hen and Chickens Theatre August 2018
July 2018 RADA festival
