How Aladdin panto made the day for dementia sufferers

Aladdin helps Actonepanto reach the heart

 

After a recent performance of Aladdin at Barnes Court Residential Home,Sunderland, this email to Jule Watson of Actonepanto speaks for itself!

“Hi Jule,

I just wanted to let you know that our residents, staff and family members all thoroughly enjoyed Aladdin last night. The simplicity of the “stage setting” and the standard of acting/singing was brilliant. Your actors fully engaged with even the most challenging residents (we were set up on the dementia floor) and I have never seen so many smiling faces in a long time!! The songs were very familiar to the audience and, of course, this is very important to dementia sufferers because this stimulates their memories.

I have had lots of feedback from staff and families as well as residents themselves and just wanted to pass them on. One lady in particular made me cry when she said “This is the first time in a long while that Mam and I have shared a good time”. Her mum has dementia but she remembered words of songs and knew how to shout “boo” when the villain appeared! Another family brought in their grand children and said that to share a happy time together as a family was very important to them and to pass on their thanks to you all.

The 20 minute carol singing was a lovely touch and again residents could join in, many of them remembering the words without reading them. Altogether it was a brilliant ‘first time’ for Barnes Court as we’ve never had a pantomime before. But it certainly won’t be the last. Please let us know of any more productions you have planned for 2012.

Our very best wishes to you all for a wonderful Christmas and prosperous New Year!!

Julie Robson and all the residents and staff of Barnes Court, Sunderland”

http://www.wix.com/actoneacdemy/actonepanto

http://jacybrean.blogspot.com/2011