I'd Do It All Again

by David Calcutt

I've enjoyed my life,

I've done so many things.

I enjoyed them all.

We're only on this earth a short while.

I've had a wonderful life,

I'm one of the lucky ones.

But, boy, I've met some people in the world.

But still I'd do it all again.

(Joyce)

I'd Do It All Again is a play based on poems written by people with dementia. Over several months, the writer David Calcutt worked in care homes with people who have dementia, transcribing their words and stories, and turning them first into poems, and then into a play.

I'd Do It All Again was a celebration of the lives and memories of people whose condition can so easily make them feel isolated and forgotten. The production featured a community cast; it was funded by Awards for All, and toured in 2018.

The images show the company performing the play to Joyce, one of the residents of Rushall Care Home, Walsall. Joyce's poems were used in the play.

Cast: Rachel Barnes; Gordon Elcock; Joe Gaffney; Chris Haines; Cheryl Harmitt; Chloe Shaw; Katie Travell. Music by Josh Herring. Choreography by Helen Calcutt.

Directed by David Allen.