Navigating love, loss and Sinatra with In Other Words

Exploring love, memory and the enduring power of music, playwright and producer Matthew Seager brings his new production In Other Words to Koorliny Arts Centre from Friday, May 15 to Saturday, May 23—with tickets on sale now. Directed by Geoffrey Leeder, the heartfelt play follows Arthur and Jane, a couple navigating the joys of life together before Alzheimer’s disease begins to reshape their world. Starring Grant Malcolm as Arthur and Natalie Burbage as Jane, the production blends humour, heartbreak and the timeless music of Frank Sinatra to explore the small moments that define a relationship and the ways music can reconnect people to memory and emotion. Presented in partnership with Forget-Me-Not Memory Café, the production will also provide information and support services at each performance for those affected by dementia. ALYA MALIK FAISAL caught up with Grant Malcolm and Natalie Burbage to discuss bringing their characters to life, the emotional weight of the story and why In Other Words will resonate far beyond the stage.

Congrats on starring in this production! What was the process like for you two in bringing the characters of Arthur and Jane to life for this play?

NATALIE: It is an absolute privilege and joy to be involved in this production. For me, approaching a new role is about connecting with a character in some way and walking in their shoes—feeling empathy. Playwright Matthew Seager has written this beautiful play in such a way that the characters felt relatable from the first reading. At that first rehearsal, Geoffrey also connected us with his dear friend who had been through a similar journey to Jane and Arthur, and she very generously spoke of her experiences. Rehearsals have been a lovely process of discovery.

GRANT: Is it okay to confess it was scary? I mean, Arthur starts out as a pretty ordinary bloke, and the few challenges he encounters early on aren’t so different from ones we all encounter occasionally. Or is that just me? I mean who hasn’t forgotten what they’ve gone to buy at the shops some time? Are we all just a few steps away from an early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s ourselves?

How did the music of Frank Sinatra come to be part of the soundtrack for the play? What’s the connection between his music and this play?

NATALIE: That might be a question for the playwright! Throughout the script Seager suggests music ‘in the style of’ Frank Sinatra and others of this era. The title of the play In Other Words and other themes from the song, Fly Me to the Moon, are woven throughout. Themes of finding love, finding the right words in a situation, longing, and loss. Grant and I are discovering moments in the play where the song lyrics match perfectly to our movement. Serendipitous perhaps, or maybe it is Geoffrey’s clever direction. I know he is a big Sinatra fan. What’s not to love about Frank’s music?

GRANT: It wasn’t until we began rehearsing that we realised how integral some of the lyrics are to the show. Some beautiful moments!

Why was it important to make this play about Alzheimer’s and its effect on a person and within a relationship? And do you have a personal connection to this theme within your own lives?

NATALIE: When Geoffrey reached out to see if I would consider working on this play with him, I knew it was a yes before I had finished reading it. The characters are relatable, the story is both heartbreaking and funny, it’s clever, and there was the bonus of working with Geoffrey and Grant. I knew the story was in good hands and it was a story worth telling.

Whilst many have experienced the effects of Alzheimer’s on people in their lives, it’s not generally something people speak of openly because it’s hard. It’s hard to see the decline of someone you love. I have family members who have died with/of Alzheimer’s and another currently living with a form of dementia, and the toll on their immediate loved ones and carers is insurmountable. The grieving begins long before the person leaves. Every person’s experience with Alzheimer’s or dementia is different, but speaking about it openly, or watching a theatre performance, may help people to feel less isolated.

GRANT: In his author’s note, the playwright talks about facilitating ten weeks of workshops in a care home in the last year of his degree. “Some residents who seemed completely cognitively unaware, distressed and unable to communicate would stand and sing every word to a song they recognised from their childhood or young adult life,” he said. This resonated for me with drama workshops that I had conducted with people living with disabilities and with the frail aged. It can be an immensely moving and rewarding experience.

Natalie, what’s it like returning to the Koorliny stage since co-directing The Little Mermaid back in 2016?

NATALIE: 2016 was the last time I directed at Koorliny. Since then I have performed in seven shows at Koorliny, including Catch Me if You Can, Mamma Mia, The Boy From Oz, Ruthless!, and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, as well as moved readings. I have also been on production teams for five others. It is always fantastic to be at Koorliny Arts Centre. Everyone is very welcoming; it’s a place with integrity and a reputation for excellence.

What has the partnership with Forget-Me-Not Memory Cafe been like for all of you?

NATALIE: Geoffrey has spent some time building connections with the people from Forget-Me Not Memory Café, and I think his initiative of having Memory Café representatives at performances is wonderful. They will be there to provide resources and offer support for people attending.

Finally, what do you hope audiences take away most from this play? And what does the title mean in the context of the story?

NATALIE: Most of all, I hope audiences enjoy the opportunity to laugh and cry along with Arthur and Jane as they watch the show. If they haven’t experienced knowing someone with Alzheimer’s, I hope they gain some insight into the journeys people go on. If they have, I hope they find some comfort in relatable moments and feel seen.

In Other Words, there are so many different ways of expressing ourselves; sometimes we can’t find the right words or we lose the ability to find them, but we dance, we sing, we write, we touch. Some people speak of love languages. We communicate in so many ways; we don’t give up on love when the language itself is gone.

GRANT: At the end of the play Jane says, ‘Those moments that have to fight so incredibly hard just to get through… Just to surface long enough for a smile of recognition or a song.’ They made it all worthwhile.

In Other Words hits Koorliny Arts Centre at Theatre 2 from Friday, May 15 to Saturday, May 23, 2026. Tickets are on sale now from oztix.com.au