What if we could laugh with Alzheimer’s? This is the audacious and magnificent challenge taken up by Colette Roumanoff in her play “Plus fort que l’oubli”. After seeing it, we come away transformed – between bursts of laughter and tears of emotion, with this conviction anchored in our soul: our approach to illness must radically change.
A feel-good comedy
The play immerses us in the daily life of Marco, suffering from Alzheimer’s, on the eve of his daughter’s wedding. Between an exuberant mother-in-law, tasty misunderstandings and unpredictable twists and turns, the laughter machine is in motion. And this is precisely where the genius of this work lies: using humor as a gateway to a deep understanding of illness.
We laugh a lot, of course, but with a kind laughter, which never makes fun of people. A laughter that liberates, relaxes, and allows you to tame the unspeakable.
A life lesson for caregivers
This show should be prescribed by prescription to all caregivers, families and caregivers faced with the disease. Colette Roumanoff, who accompanied her own husband for ten years, transmits her philosophy to us with disconcerting simplicity:
- Understand rather than correct: “We often interpret behaviors through our own prism,” she explains. The person is not “running away”, they may simply be looking for the toilet;
- Live in the present moment: Marco, in his moments of confusion, paradoxically becomes a guide to the essential. His heightened sensitivity allows him to perceive the inner state of his interlocutors with disconcerting acuity;
- Kindness as a remedy: faced with stress which aggravates symptoms, the play shows how a calm and understanding attitude can calm the most tense situations.
Change your perspective to better support
The great strength of this piece is to make us understand that Alzheimer’s is not just a story of memory. It’s an “information management disease” that makes you lose your bearings. By ceasing to want to bring the patient back into our reality to enter theirs, we re-establish valuable communication.
The scenes where Marco, without recognizing the people, perfectly perceives their emotions and their inner conflicts are shockingly accurate. He then becomes no longer a “patient to manage”, but a sensitive being with whom to interact in a different way.
A social and human emergency
With nearly a million people affected in France, the issue goes far beyond the theatrical framework. “Stronger than forgetting” offers us concrete keys to improving the daily lives of patients and their loved ones:
- Favor the relationship over the correction;
- Accept losing control;
- Find joy in the present moment;
- Understand that every behavior has meaning.
This piece is a remedy for caregiver burnout, a breath of fresh air for families, and a living training for caregivers. It should be performed in all medical schools, all hospitals, all retirement homes.
Don’t wait to see it. “Stronger Than Oblivion” is much more than a show: it is a transformative experience that restores humanity where illness had stolen it. A life lesson that reminds us that love and authentic relationships survive everything, even forgetting.