Theatre puts dementia in the spotlight
by Natalie Rinehart
22nd June 2026
REVIEW
Wow, wow and also wow!
I was fortunate enough to see The Father, a beautiful stage production by the ever-talented Warrandyte Theatre Company, on its opening weekend.
I didn’t know much about the show other than it was about “dementia” and a father-daughter relationship.
I walked away with the full gamut of strong emotions, a buzzing brain still making connections, and awe at the talent of our local group — especially Reg Ellery and Mia Jabara in the key roles.
The show is an internal and external exploration of how dementia impacts individuals, relationships, and roles within a family.
Andrew (Reg Ellery), the father, a proud man, struggles to keep living a life he can recognise and feel safe within.
However, the disease slowly strips him of his memories, leaving confusion in its place.
This confusion sometimes appears as anger and frustration, other times as deep fear, and when he is aware, deep grief.
Anne (Mia Jabara), his daughter, struggles with the ever-changing nature of his condition.
At times, his approach is brutal and seemingly callous, and at others it’s child-like and playful, even charming.
As she tries to navigate his needs, her sense of responsibility and love, and her partner’s frustration, we watch a woman grieving the loss of her father whilst he is standing in front of her.
The beauty of the show’s writing and the masterful direction by Grant Purdy mean that the audience experiences dementia from the inside, through recurring scenes and varying outcomes.
Just when we think we have the thread of a storyline, it’s snatched away, and we have to reset.
As we watch, we are not always sure of which part of the show’s timeline this relates to.
The result illustrates how dementia must feel from the inside.
The set is ever-changing and slowly stripped away, just like Andrew’s understanding of the world.
His watch, a recurrent theme, is like an anchor to his sense of reality, but it keeps going missing.
The ensemble cast brings tangible peak moments of brutality to Andrew.
His impact on his daughter, and the reality of his condition and need for care.
But even for the audience, we aren’t always sure who is real and if the interaction is actually happening.
Overall, The Father is not a show you will walk out of full of laughter.
But you will walk away with a sense of love for us humans trying to do our best in seemingly impossible conditions.
The adaptability and persistence we show every day — and that is a message we all need right now.
Thank you to the Warrandyte Theatre Group for another stellar experience.
Go and see it!!
Visit warrandytearts.org.au/theatre for show details and to buy tickets.
