An interview with Ian Baxter – actor in ‘The Purple List…A Gay Dementia Venture’

I’ve got three step children and grandchildren aging from five years to adult age, who all call me “Grandpa Ian.”

I’ve been an actor, role-player, facilitator and teacher since graduating in 1983. I love using theatre to get people to discuss, reflect, think, and ultimately to help influence their hearts and minds.

The inspiration behind the play

Libby (Libby Pearson, the playwright) and I were noticing how much dementia was being discussed in the media and began to consider what it might be like for me and my friends if we had to use the care system. We wanted to open up the discussion about how a diagnosis, use of residential and domiciliary care might have further ramifications for certain minority groups. We also wanted to make a piece of work that might influence training and good practice for those working in and around care.

The play developed through sharing events to LGBT groups and general audiences until we reached a point where we felt the play was representative of many experiences.

What I have learned about carers through performing

Carers do not necessarily know where to turn to for support and information as they are going through such personal trauma, it is difficult to take a step back and see the bigger picture and who is there to guide them. As such, they often make rushed, uninformed decisions and feel very isolated and frustrated.

In terms of LGBT issues, the number one comment is a fear of how we will be treated and accepted by carers, other residents and the growing number of strangers you come in contact with when you have an illness.

When a carer is in the thick of things, their perspective changes as does every aspect of their life. As such, they are often unheard and unseen yet they provide one of the most valuable services to society imaginable. Giving voice to a carer and their experiences was vital to the thrust of the play and we hoped very much to bring an awareness to the personal struggle carers endure. The Q&A at the end of the play while in character, reinforces how living grief and then grief after death affect carers so deeply and how important it is to recognise and support these key members of our society.

Theatre can help the health and social care workforce carry out their roles

A performance of “The Purple List” followed by a workshop, is now part of the curriculum at Hull and York Medical School (HYMS), and following performances at other universities they’re looking at including us in their curriculums too. We’ve been working extensively with “Skills for Care” and now also with The Care Quality Commission.

There are so many different ways people take on information, learn and understand, that traditional methods of say chalk and talk, personal research and lectures can never suit everyone. Even if you react well to traditional teaching and learning methods, new styles and formats enthuse and enliven learning experiences. Bringing a piece of accessible theatre into a learning environment can allow people to react in different ways to stimuli and can therefore have a huge impact on developing better practice. Seeing a real-life representation of life experiences can help students reflect on how they have treated patients and clients and how they may treat them in the future.

The importance and benefits the arts can have on people living with dementia

Art is our tool; it is our communication method. Words and emotions are inextricably linked and allow us to connect with those we are trying to reach. We made Derek a visual artist because we wanted audiences to consider how important all art forms can be to individuals, especially those with physical and emotional impairments and how the arts can help them to hold on to their identity when illness is apparently stripping them of that.

What’s next for Purple List Theatre

We go from strength to strength, performing to a wide variety of audiences and organisations. We are working with the CQC again and a range of care providers and commissioners. While we have performed extensively in England (also in Australia and Italy), we have never performed in Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland and we would love to do so. So, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales (and England if we’ve not reached your neighbourhood yet) please do get in touch.

My favourite play

Libby says her favourite is ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ because it teems with passion, desire and loss – it’s about raw human emotion.

Of course, I’m going to say ‘The Purple List…A Gay Dementia Venture’ because I love performing it, I feel privileged to be performing it, and I feel passionately about the issues that it raises.

As an audience member, I want to see a play that packs a punch with passion and soul. So for me, it’s most productions from Knee High Theatre Company, like ‘Troilus and Cressida’, or directed by Emma Rice such as ‘Nights at The Circus.’ I can usually rely on them to be exciting, challenging, magical, passionate, hilarious, devastating and… inspirational.