This is a show for anyone who has experienced loss of any kind

A new theatrical production titled Before I Forget opened at the Fairfax Studio of the Arts Centre Melbourne on October 30, 2026, running until November 28. Staged by the Melbourne Theatre Company, the play examines the progressive decline of a woman suffering from early-onset dementia. The work serves as a meditation on loss, identity, and the preservation of Indigenous culture, drawing directly from the personal history of playwright and director Kamarra Bell-Wykes. The narrative centers on Faith Wells, a former First Nations academic and linguist portrayed by Roxanne McDonald. Once characterized by a sharp intellect and a commanding presence, Faith is depicted as increasingly disoriented. The play opens with Faith losing her keys and handbag during a lecture, after which she begins to hear voices and struggle with basic recognition. As the disease advances, she fails to identify her granddaughter, Hope, played by Tyallah Bullock, and mistakenly believes her son, Jet, played by Nathan Wright, is her own father. Faith’s condition forces her family to confront difficult logistical and emotional realities. When plans are made to move her into an aged care facility, Faith reacts with rage and refusal. Her daughter, Karma, played by Melodie Reynolds-Diarra, struggles to manage the situation amidst growing frustration. To fund the residential care, the family has sold Faith’s home. The stage design reflects this displacement, featuring two beds flanking a couch, scattered research papers, and a visible "For Sale" sign in the corner, indicating that new owners are scheduled to take possession of the property soon. Bell-Wykes developed the script through the Melbourne Theatre Company’s Next Stage writers’ program, an initiative designed to support emerging theatre-makers. The play is loosely based on the lived experiences of Bell-Wykes and her late mother, Jeanie Bell. Jeanie Bell was a prominent Aboriginal linguist and academic who played a critical role in language reclamation efforts. Although she has passed away, her influence permeates the production. Bell-Wykes noted that she often heard her mother’s voice while writing the script. The character names in the play, Faith, Karma, and Hope, reflect the intergenerational connection between the playwright, her mother, and her daughter. The cast includes several individuals with prior connections to the creator. McDonald, who portrays Faith, knew Jeanie Bell personally and incorporated specific mannerisms and memories of her laugh into the performance. Reynolds-Diarra, playing the daughter, described Bell as more than a traditional matriarch, noting that she equipped the community with tools to navigate non-Indigenous societies. Assistant director Carly Shepherd is a frequent creative collaborator of Bell-Wykes. The production integrates Butchulla and Gubbi Gubbi dialogue, embedding the linguistic legacy of Jeanie Bell into the text. Bell-Wykes, a Yagera/Badtjala/Butchulla theatre-maker, previously received the Patrick White Award for her play Whose Gonna Love ' Em? I am that i AM. She described the directing process as a challenging experience, requiring her to move past her initial grief to inhabit the physical and metaphorical spaces of the story. She emphasized that humor is a natural survival mechanism in many Black Australian communities. Consequently, the play balances heavy themes with comedic elements derived from her mother’s larger-than-life personality. Bell-Wykes stated that navigating how much personal truth to include while protecting the privacy of the deceased and living relatives was a slow and careful process. The staging highlights the burden of caregiving, which falls primarily on the women in the family. Wright appears briefly as the son Jet, a character who loves his mother but is unable to provide practical care, highlighting the gendered nature of domestic responsibility. The emotional tone of the production shifts between fear, hurt, outrage, and tenderness. A key sequence involves the three women conducting a "living wake," a ritual eulogy where they acknowledge each other’s strengths. This act serves as a response to the historical absence of proper burials for ancestors massacred during colonization. The scene underscores the importance of remembering the Indigenous matrilineal line in the face of aging and death. The visual design transitions from the cramped interior of the home to a wider view revealing a luminous skyline and stars. This shift suggests a spiritual dimension that transcends earthly mortality. Critics have praised the performances, describing McDonald as convincingly portraying a woman battling memory fog while retaining a playful spirit. Reynolds-Diarra is noted for embodying the tightrope of anger and duty required of the caretaking daughter, while Bullock brings a sweet earnestness to the granddaughter seeking connection with her grandmother. The play addresses the specific tragedy of a linguist losing the very languages she dedicated her career to restoring. For Faith, the erosion of memory represents a compromise of her cultural legacy. The production positions itself as a story for anyone who has experienced loss, whether through illness, death, or the gradual fading of identity. By weaving together personal biography with broader historical context, Before I Forget offers a detailed look at how families navigate the end stages of life while striving to preserve dignity and heritage. The run continues at the Arts Centre Melbourne through the end of November.