Playwright Lisa Parry (1998, English) releases podcast drama about early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease
Lisa Parry (1998, English) has championed the need for theatre to engage with science and ethics for many years. Her latest project does just that. Tremolo, a co-production with Wales Gene Park, Illumine Theatre and Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru, is a podcast drama that deals with early-onset familial Alzheimer’s disease.
‘I jolt. It’s here. The day of the final A-level exam’. Tremolo tells the story of Harri, an 18-year-old who discovers that his mother has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease on the day he finishes his A-levels. With the knowledge that he and his sister Gwenllian each have a 50 per cent chance of inheriting the disease, he is faced with an incredibly difficult decision: should he take a test to find out?
Tremolo tells an intimate story of family dynamics in a moment of crisis, medical autonomy when on the brink of adulthood, and the realities of early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. Parry seamlessly combines poignant storytelling and information about genetic counselling, diagnosis and living with Alzheimer’s. The product is a drama that is both educational and heart-wrenching.
Tremolo was released on 3 March, supported by the Genetics Society, and is available to listen to for free in English and Welsh here.