Spare Tyre are supporting Associate Artist Lisa Muten with a new piece exploring dementia and predatory marriage. 

What Will Happen to the Cat? Synopsis

The story follows Jo and her Father, Ted, who has dementia. Ted has been abandoned on the doorstep by his new wife’s family, with his only remaining belongings in a blue plastic bag– on Christmas Eve. Once Jo has him safe at her home, she pieces together the story of how newly-widowed Ted was targeted by a cuckoo family, who befriended him, alienated him from Jo, persuaded him to marry their mother (without telling Jo). They then sold off his assets and spent all his money. At the start of the action, Jo is shocked to discover Ted has £438.11 left to his name.  

The events of 2017 are set against Ted’s occasionally comical professional adventures behind the Iron Curtain as a businessman, making friends and doing deals. He seems to cope in the present by referring back with humour and wry commentary to his tense encounters at border crossings, breakdowns on mountain passes, and giving government agents the slip. Ted although confused, is protected by his memories and provides a poignant and philosophical perspective to Jo’s travails with bureaucracy, often asking after his cat and the cricket score.  Jo fights and fails to get justice. In a system that wants but is powerless to help, she finally wins the biggest prize, a proper reunion and reconciliation with her father.

Next steps in the process

In October and November 2024, we brought in 3 actors to workshop the script, allowing Lisa to see her visuals set against the reading of the play so far. This was a valuable part of the process, and will now be followed up in our participatory style, by listening to other voices of experience. In February 2025, we will be holding 3 creative workshops for people with experience, or concern about, predatory marriage and/or elder abuse of a person with dementia they care for. For more details of these workshops and to find out how you can join us, click the link below.