The cruel tricks of dementia as The Father takes to the stage

Performances are at 7.45pm from Tuesday to Saturday, November 1-5 and from Tuesday to Saturday, November 8-12, with tickets for The Father available either via the theatre’s home page (www.archwaytheatre.com) or at: www.ticketsource.co.uk/archwaytheatre/the-father/e-dpmyoo (members £11.50; non-members £13.50).

Director Joy Matthews says the story of why she chose to direct this play begins a few years ago when she saw a couple of plays by the then emerging French playwright Florian Zeller and was very taken with his writing style. “I saw his play The Father at the Yvonne Arnaud Theatre when the London production was touring,” explains Joy. “It didn't occur to me at that time to direct it at The Archway Theatre as I knew it would be fraught with difficulties. However, six years later I felt capable of directing it if I could find the right cast.”

A spokesman added: “This extraordinary play is written from the viewpoint of André, the elderly father, who is trying to make sense of the world in which he now finds himself. The audience experiences with André the tricks that memory plays at the onset of dementia. It is written with sensitivity and honesty. It has many comic and endearing moments as well as frustrating ones as family and carers try to help him.

As well as being performed regularly as a stage play, The Father was recently made into an Oscar-winning film starring Anthony Hopkins and Olivia Colman.

“Nestled in Horley’s atmospheric railway arches, The Archway Theatre Company has for 70 years been surprising and delighting local residents and visitors with high-quality productions, ranging from Shakespeare and the classics through modern comedies, musicals and pantomimes to experimental pieces that push the boundaries of the form. A member of the prestigious Little Theatre Guild, the Archway boasts a comfortable 95-seat auditorium and a cosy, recently refurbished bar.”