I don’t belong here
a play written & performed by Joëlle Rabu
“I Don’t Belong Here” is a powerful play with music that takes audiences on a journey through a day in a dementia care facility. Award-winning singer-actor, Joëlle Rabu, delivers a powerful performance, embodying the perspectives of residents, care aids, and family members alike, revealing the raw emotions of grief, frustration, sadness, and unexpected humour that define their lives. The play, enriched by the poignant lyrics and beautiful melodies of the late, great songwriter Harry Nilsson, and Nico Rhodes’ evocative musical arrangements, offers a deeply human and imaginative exploration of dementia, capturing profound moments of connection and disconnection.
This minimalist-styled stage production (for small or larger stages) features a carefully woven sequence of musical vignettes that bring to life the stories of residents such as Stanley, desperate to escape; Bess and Louise long-time friends unknowingly reunited in the residence; Jim who day after day patiently waits by the door for his late wife to return; Liam, who while visiting his sleeping grandmother confesses his life’s challenges; Ruth who reluctantly moves into the residence brought in by her guilt-ridden daughter who is no longer able to care for her, to the psychological burden Care Aids experience as they become the keeper of memories. Through these characters, the play weaves moments of vulnerability adding flashes of levity which reflect the sometimes-challenging absurdities of the aging mind, all the while reminding us of our shared humanity and the enduring beauty in life’s greatest challenges.
Written by Joelle Rabu and Kelly Wyatt, Nico Rhodes, Artistic Director.
