At the National Theatre, Improbable are producing Lost Without Words. It’s inspired by the fact that while older actors may have spent a lifetime playing characters in plays, as they move into their 70s and 80s, it sometimes becomes harder to remember the lines. Lost Without Words allows them to go off script and learn new skills in an evening that will be improvised at every performance.
With theatre audiences often containing a significant proportion of retired people, there could be box-office appeal in shows that offer them the chance to see themselves portrayed on stage. But does this current trend represent a move towards greater representation of older people in theatre? It will take far more to bring about lasting change. At a time when theatre is becoming far more aware of its lack of inclusiveness in relation to gender, race and economic and social privilege, ageism is often left out of the diversity conversation. But, as Linden says: “It is undoubtedly a diversity issue. Why squander all that talent and experience when we can use it to offer a different view of older people than the one we so often see?”
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