In Other Words brings home an all too recognisable everyday tragedy
Four stars
When Arthur met Jane, it was love at first spillage. In a crowded bar accidentally serenaded by a Frank Sinatra soundtrack, the red wine might have stained, but the merry dance the couple in waiting stepped out into was all part of Arthur's plan.
A lifetime and the onset of dementia later, alas, Arthur and Jane may sit next to each other like bookends, but Arthur can barely remember either of their names. As soon as their song comes on, however, they are loving each other to the moon and back once more.
Matthew Seager's beautifully realised two-hander tackles the cruelest of illnesses and the redemptive power of music in exquisitely intimate fashion. Performed by Seager himself as Arthur and Lydia White stepping into Jane's shoes, the power of Andy Routledge's production comes in its quiet understatement.
As Arthur becomes increasingly dependent on Jane, Jane is overwhelmed by a life she never planned. As Seager and White step out of Arthur and Jane's domestic privacy occasionally to address the audience in character with snippets of inner monologue, it brings home an all too recognisable everyday tragedy.
Seager's play has become a much-loved treasure of the small scale touring circuit over the last few years. This latest outing has found a champion in The Utley Foundation, whose Music for Dementia campaign recognises the vital part music can play in caring for Alzheimer's patients.
As an artistic expression of their aims, In Other Words shows how a special song can bring memories back to life in a gently delivered production driven by empathy and warmth.
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BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Diddy's ex-girlfriend 'Jane' testifies about pressure to participate in 'hotel nights'
A former girlfriend of Sean "Diddy" Combs, testifying for a second day at his criminal trial under the pseudonym "Jane", described how she felt pressured to engage in sexual encounters with male escorts while he watched, despite her expressing they upset her. She also alleged a network of employees helped procure drugs for the lengthy encounters, known as "hotel nights" or "freak-offs", that left her in pain and with frequent infections. Prosecutors have charged Mr Combs, 55, with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in has pleaded not guilty to all charges. At the beginning of the trial, now in its fifth week, defence attorney Teny Geragos said the government had overstepped with its charges and are trying to portray consensual sex between adults as evidence of Jane's testimony, prosecutors are seeking to provide evidence that the music mogul's activities were one "hotel night" encounter in New York in 2023, Jane testified that she invited a male escort to fly from Atlanta, Georgia, to New York City to join her and Mr Combs for an encounter at the Trump International paid for his ticket, she testified, and afterward, she worked to ensure that an envelope containing several thousand dollars was left for the escort at the front another occasion, the woman testified that Mr Combs's chief of staff Kristina Khorram allegedly instructed her to pick up drugs from Los Angeles to bring to Mr Combs' Miami Khorram has been named by prosecutors in court as a co-conspirator to Mr Combs, and could potentially 'Diddy' Combs: Who is the US rapper accused of sex trafficking?Jane told the court that she picked the package up from a member of Mr Combs' security, put it in her check-in luggage and brought it to Miami, where she discovered it contained also said she often saw Mr Combs call his assistants and security to bring drugs to the hotels where they had their encounters with of the charges Mr Combs faces is racketeering. In order to prove that, prosecutors have to show that he was running a criminal enterprise and conspiring to commit crimes. Jane testifies about a financial "love contract" By the time of the 2023 New York encounter, Jane said she realised she no longer wanted to participate in these "hotel nights". The pair had been together since 2021. During the trip, the two began "bickering" about them and she told Mr Combs she was "done with this", she said. Mr Combs was defensive, she said, but told her they didn't have to continue. Still, later that night, she joined him for asked the woman several times why she stayed in a relationship with Mr Combs, even as she described feeling "disgusted, repulsed" after one rare encounter where she did not take drugs, which she said she took to make them seem less real. A federal prosecutor asked why she arranged the "hotel night" in New York if she had just told Mr Combs she no longer wanted to paused for a long time, at first saying it was hard to answer. She wanted to make her partner happy, she introduced also introduced the pair's financial ties. At the time, Mr Combs was paying Jane's $10,000 per month rent, which he continues to do to this day. Jane testified that the pair made a "love contract" in which Mr Combs agreed to give her a monthly $10,000 allowance for two years. The rapper would hold the money over her head if she resisted hotel nights, she said one week, she was planning an "all-star party" with male escorts from their previous Combs said he was "hyped", but Jane eventually tried to back out. Prosecutors showed the jury texts between the two, where Jane sent photos to prove she was not feeling Combs responded with messages she interpreted as threats to cut her off financially. In 2024, near the end of their relationship, Mr Combs told her that he had not known the hotel night encounters upset her and that she had not told in reviewing her messages and notes from their relationship, Jane said she realised she expressed her unhappiness. In one exchange, she told Mr Combs she was upset that he had spent time with another woman after only engaging in a "hotel night" with her."I need a breather and a break from you," she texted him in November 2021. "This doesn't make me feel good at all, your intentions are in plain sight."She also testified on Friday that the "hotel nights" took a physical toll on told the court that she frequently contracted infections, and felt pelvic pain "100% of the time" following the encounters. Jane recalled she "probably" did not tell Mr Combs about these physical issues "because I just didn't want to indicate any negativity", she in the trial, R&B singer Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura took the witness stand, describing similar drug-fuelled sex encounters with Mr Combs, who she dated for more than a will continue to face questioning next week, with Mr Combs' defence attorneys likely questioning her extensively about her time with the rap mogul. Get all the latest trial updates on the BBC Sounds 'Diddy on Trial' podcast available wherever you get your BBC podcasts.
NBC News
2 days ago
- NBC News
'Jane' gives tearful testimony about 'hotel nights' at Diddy's direction
A former girlfriend of Diddy's going by the pseudonym 'Jane' wept on the witness stand today as she described drug-induced sexual encounters with male escorts while she traveled the world with the music mogul. The marathon sex sessions, described by her as 'hotel nights' and similar to 'freak offs,' were organized at Diddy's direction, could last multiple days, and involved drugs and baby oil, she said. Through tears, she testified that she didn't know why she couldn't outright tell Diddy to stop and that he would give her 'multiple doses' of ecstasy per night to keep her awake. On her birthday in Miami in 2023, she testified, she had sex with multiple men as Diddy watched. Jane previously testified that Diddy was paying her rent and reiterated today that he continues to. She is one of four accusers referred to in the government's indictment that alleges Diddy ran his business empire as a criminal enterprise and exploited the women through his financial support. 'It's true that at any moment he could just do that if he wanted to,' Jane testified, 'cut me off.' 🔎 The view from inside By Adam Reiss and Jing Feng Diddy sat with his hands clasped in front of him as Jane testified, while attorneys for both the prosecution and defense appeared riveted by her on the stand. Diddy's demeanor is in the spotlight after Judge Arun Subramanian yesterday scolded his defense team for allowing him to make facial expressions toward the jury. Subramanian said it was 'absolutely unacceptable' and warned that if it happens again, he may remove Diddy from the courtroom. In other news: An attorney for Jane complained to Subramanian that media outlets are trying to expose her identity. The attorney accused the outlets of livestreaming and posting related articles, and asked the court to 'stop these attempts to violate the court's order' not to name her. The judge said he would consider issuing a media gag order if someone is found to have violated the rules. Next week: Jane is expected to return for more questioning by the prosecution before the defense begins its cross-examination. PSA: Every night during Diddy's trial, NBC's 'Dateline' will drop special episodes of the 'True Crime Weekly' podcast to get you up to speed. 'Dateline' correspondent Andrea Canning chats with NBC News' Chloe Melas and special guests — right in front of the courthouse. Listen here. 🎧
BBC News
2 days ago
- BBC News
Diddy ex-girlfriend 'Jane' testify for im sex-trafficking trial
For di fourth week of Diddy trial, we hia wetin one of im ex girlfriends "Jane" tok about dia relationship wey last from 2021 to 2024. She be di last woman wey di rapper, Sean "Diddy" Combs date bifor dem arrest am for 2024. According to di woman, dia relationship bin start for one girls trip wey she bin take go Miami. Di relationship come move from "head-over-heels" love enta relationship wey be say she must to dey sex prostitutes and even sef, e make am dey abuse drugs. Tori be say dis particular witness, fit take dis case enta Monday bifor even just di direct questioning sef go finish. She tell di court say di relationship bin start on wetin she call "exciting whirlwind" wia Diddy go carry am go holiday, and ogbonge restaurants dem. She later testify say Combs later ask am to do wetin prosecutors dey call "hotel nights". Dis na wen Combs go bring prostitute so e go fit to watch am dey nack anoda man. "Jane" tell di court say she bin reason say na just one time tin but e turn dia relationship to anoda tin. She tok say she do di oda hotel nights bicos she "really love am" and "bin wan make am happy". But she tok say she bin tell Combs say she bin no wan do again. She say Combs bin also give am drugs like ecstasy cocaine and ketamine from wen dia relationship bin first start. She also testify say she bin use di drugs wen she dey wit Combs and also for di hotel nights. Prosecutors bin show court text message from di both of dem for early in dia relationship wia "Jane" tok say she wan nack escort, but na bicos na Diddy fantasy. But later in dia relationship, around dat kain September 2023, she come dey message Combs say e be like di only reason wey e want am na for "hotel nights", say she no wan do am again but still feel like she need to do am so she go get house to live. Bicos by dat time, Combs don alreadi dey pay her $10,000 per month house rent for am for di past five months. Combs bin reply back say, "girl, stop." Wetin Jane say dey happun during di "hotel nights" "Jane" start to dey cry as she tell court how di mata of di "hotel nights" bin happun. Di jury even hear one recording wia Jane tok say she bin dey ask Combs weda she go fit use protection wit di prostitute. She tell di court say Combs bin dey disappointed wit dat question and na im bin dey control everytin wey bin dey happun for di "hotel nights". She say na Combs dey decide how many prostitutes go take part, how long e go last and wen she go finish. She also tok say sometimes, she go cry afta di marathon "hotel nights". She tok say she remember wen Combs call am make she come do one short one. Dat "short" one last for 18 hours. She say Combs bin give her drugs say, "I bin dey so high". She tell di court say Diddy look disgusted wen e see her as she dey cry and e bin wan comot but she beg am make e stay, as she explain am give court, "I bin just wan dey im arms". She tell di court say di longest "hotel night" bin last for three and half days. On a normal day, e fit last for 24 hours to 30 hours without any sleep. She tell court say na combination of drugs, caffeine and protein shakes. Jane tell court say her only rule na say make di prostitutes no take drugs bicos she bin no sure how e go affect dia control. But she tale am so di hotel nights go dey easier and feel less real. "Jane" remember say na just two times wey she decide say she no go do drugs to take do "hotel night". She tell court say na for October 2023, and she bin dey push Combs make e dey sober and healthier. E gree but say make dem do one last sobriety party wey last 12-18 hours. She say afta she run di "normal routine" wit two prostitutes, she go vomit for bathroom. Na so Combs go meet am for bathroom say e good say she don dey feel beta, from wia she don finish to dey throw up, e tell am say di third guy dey wait. As di testimony dey go on, Diddy just dey look "Jane" from im chair, sometimes e dey look di jury sha. "Jane" also tell di court tori of di network of employees wey Combs get wey dey help am get drugs. Dis dey come as one of di charges wey Combs dey face na racketeering. And prosecutors need to prove say e bin dey run criminal business and bin dey conspire to commit crimes. She say one time Combs Chief of Staff Kristina Khorram bin tell her to carry package of drugs form Los Angeles go Diddy mansion for Miami. She bin ask if e dey safe to which Khorram tell am say, "e dey fine, I dey do am all di time". "Jane" come tell court say na so she collect di package from one member of Comb security, carry am as check-in luggage go Miami, and na afta she land she find out say e bin dey full of ecstasy. "Jane" add for her testimony say she dey normally see Combs as e dey call im assistants and security say make dem carry drugs come di hotels wia she dey nack prostitutes.
