A Month of Sundays
By Bob Larby
Directed by Michael R. Harris A Month of Sundays is a bittersweet comedy about the challenges of growing old. It is set in a rest home in the south of England. Cooper, who is mentally fit but physically frail, is a cynic. He’s likely to pick fights with whomever he can, particularly his daughter Julia who visits him every month. His friend Aylott, who is physically strong, is suffering from the onset of dementia. Midst the nostalgia for times past, especially their best cricket team, they deal with their problems: the inexorable onslaught of old age, the complicated feelings revolving around family and friendships, and the challenges of forging new relationships with the characters that people their new world: Mrs Baker, the cleaning lady, and Nurse Cooper. American actor Bette Davis said: “Growing old is not for sissies”. There is something heroic about the way Cooper and Aylott meet each day and come to terms with their relationships and their failing bodies. This play treats the subject of old age with sensitivity and a great deal of humour. Performed by Phoenix Players March 29-31, 2007. |   |
