Life’s a stage for Michael Hurst & Jennifer Ward-Lealand

Navigating love, loss, and the lasting power of music, Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Michael Hurst explore the realities of dementia in their latest production. Metropol Editor Lynda Papesch catches up with them ahead of the play’s Christchurch season.

Avisit to Christchurch usually brings back a raft of fond memories for celebrated Kiwi actors and real-life couple Jennifer Ward-Lealand and Michael Hurst. Both spent time in the city during their formative years, Jennifer visiting her grandmother and cousins, and Michael at school.

Ironically, memory – or the loss of it – is at the heart of their latest play In Other Words, showing at the Isaac Theatre Royal, 13-15 March. A moving and intimate love story that looks at the impact of Alzheimer’s disease and the way music can keep memories alive, In Other Words is the latest in a long string of successes for the couple, spanning four decades of theatre.

In their first ever two-hander production, Jennifer and Michael play Jane and Arthur who meet in their 20s, fall in love, and share a life together. In real life, Jennifer and Michael have also been together since their 20s, mirroring the protagonists and making Arthur and Jane’s relationship feel all the more real.

Neither of them has had any close personal experiences with Alzheimer’s, drawing on research and expert opinion for their portrayals. “To be honest, I don’t have anyone close to me that has had or is having dementia. Some friends with affected family, yes, but no close personal experience,” explains Michael.

“I relied on research. I spoke with experts in the treatment and care of people with dementia, and was careful to make sure that what I was presenting was accurate. The script is very clear about the behaviour of my character as the dementia slowly sets in, and in focusing on what was in front of me in terms of playing the scenes, I was able to find the reality of the situations.”

While no one in Jennifer’s close family has been affected by the disease, she looked after a close relative with deteriorating health and so understands the degree of loving service required.

United front
Living and working together brings benefits, such as in this production, explains Michael, where their own relationship of over 40 years is easily translatable to the stage. “Audiences can recognise immediately the kind of familiarity that comes with a long-term relationship.

“Also we can talk about performances, run lines or share ideas about the piece at any time. We both come from the same disciplined background and have a very similar approach to work. I know that if I want critique, Jennifer will be honest and supportive, and in turn I will be the same for her. It really helps that we admire each other’s work and that we’re not afraid to pull each other up on any bad habits, not that there are that many.”

Jennifer agrees. “Michael covered it all there. We do have different approaches to learning lines. Michael gets up very early and I like learning just before going to sleep. Never the twain shall meet,” she laughs. Michael chimes in: “One day, while doing the dishes, Jennifer asked if I’d been to the bank. I answered without thinking—then realised these were lines from the show. We kept it up, sounding just like a real conversation. I got a bit hysterical. It was actually hilarious. The wall between reality and performance was extremely thin,” says Michael.

They do agree to disagree from time to time, however when it comes to favourite productions, Jennifer and Michael are largely on the same page.

“There are so many to choose from,” says Michael. “For me, the standout that we both appeared together in would have to be The Goat, by Edward Albee. This is a fantastic play and demands huge commitment from the performers. We loved it.”

Other standouts for Michael include Hamlet (played twice), Macbeth (also twice), The Holy Sinner, a devised piece that he made with Inside Out Theatre in 1990, and Amadeus, by Peter Schaeffer, where, in 1982 Michael played Mozart, and then again in 2017, when he played Salieri. “But, really, once I start to go through the roles I’ve played on stage, I start to think all of them were great to be in one way or another.”

Jennifer too, fondly remembers The Goat, and also That Face (Silo Theatre), and August; Osage County for ATC. “The roles I love best are those that take me everywhere as an actor – and with good cracking black comedic dialogue,” she explains.”

Early days
Performing in Christchurch is a chance for them both to reconnect with a city that was important to them in times long past. Michael grew up in Christchurch, his family moving here from England in 1966, when he was eight.

“Until I left for Auckland in 1979, we lived in St Albans, Merivale, Papanui and Harewood. I have to say that my time at Papanui High School was fantastic. We had terrific teachers and it was there that I was introduced to the glories of theatre and poetry and language. I see that as a golden time for me.”

After high school and a brief stint at university, Michael says he was “fortunate enough” to become a Theatre Trainee at The Court Theatre, for two years in 1977-78. “I loved this time.

It set me up for my life in the theatre. He adds that, of course, the city has changed hugely since those days, so to say I’m familiar with the place now would be a bit of a stretch I think.”

Jennifer also had deep family connections with the city. “My grandmother was a Garland (Garlands Road) and she grew up in the Opawa area. My uncle, the late Anthony Lealand started Fireworks Professionals and I spent a lot of time as a young person staying with him. “I’m always delighted to catch up with my cousins whenever I’m down there.”

In other words
Connected by the music of Frank Sinatra, this intimate, humorous and deeply moving love story explores the effects of Alzheimer’s disease and the transformative power of music to help remember the past, connect with the present, and hope for the future.

Characters Arthur and Jane retell how they met, fell in love and tried to cope with an encroaching illness. Written by UK playwright Matthew Seager, the play was inspired by his time running sensory therapy workshops in dementia care homes. The result is a heartfelt and deeply human story about the strength of love and how music can bring people back to themselves, even in the hardest moments.

When the production debuted at Q Theatre, audience members stayed behind after the show to share their own stories. Caregivers in particular expressed how seen and understood they felt, an especially humbling experience for the actors.

“After some performances, people have come up to me in tears saying, ‘That’s my life right now.’ There’s something really special about telling a story that so many people can relate to,” Jennifer concludes.