When Rachael offered to come to Stanfield Nursing Home to do a run through rehearsal of their new show in the making, I said yes. What I hadn’t realised was that this pilot show, called “Love through Double Glazing” would make us make us laugh more than we have laughed in a very long time.
The home has an inner courtyard garden with windows looking into to it, this seemed the ideal location to stage the pilot as it provided plenty of safe viewing areas for the people we support and care for. The pilot was staged entirely outside (with all windows closed at all times), but viewed from the inside where it’s warm, cosy and, most importantly, safe. It’s a two hander, with Cirque de Soleil clown, Sean Kempton, and AD of Vamos Theatre, Rachael Savage…and Rachael’s daft little white dog, Norah.
The show is cheeky, almost outrageous at times (I encouraged them that they could be even more cheeky), with a striptease, a food fight and thousands of bubbles. When the Chef character came to smear icing across our windows one of my carers couldn’t believe that they were going to make such a mess. And when the window cleaner character arrived we all looked relieved…until they started with the hose pipe.
It was a riot of fun and laughter, but most importantly, love. The show generated so much interaction and comment it brought back a sense of normality to us all.
This is what some of my residents said:
"I haven’t laughed so much for ages."
"He is a cheeky young man, but if I were younger he would not know what had hit him."
"Fantastic time."
Shouting “get your clothes off” together with lots of laughter.
"I can’t believe it I feel alive again."
"I wish XXX was with me to share so much fun."
"That old lady is drenching him, what is she doing?" accompanied with lots of laughter
"I want that little dog."
Richard White
Stanfield Care Home