A PUBLIC meeting at which serious allegations were made about the treatment of elderly residents in a Twickenham nursing home is to be dramatised on the stage of Richmond's Orange Tree Theatre next month.

Last October Twickenham MP Vincent Cable chaired a public meeting called in response to complaints from the relatives of residents in Lynde House, run by Westminster Health Care.

Dr Cable raised the issue in Parliament and the Richmond and Twickenham Times received scores of letters on the subject.

The meeting led to an inquiry into the goings on at the home, the results of which are expected to be published imminently.

As a result of the concerns raised, The Orange Tree has decided to create a short piece entitled 'The Way We Die Now - a provocation in two parts', which will be performed on May 5th.

The performance will be followed by an open discussion of the issues raised involving representatives from a number of interested bodies, as well as individuals with direct experience of the situation.

The one-off performance has been timed to complement the theatre's production of 'Happy Birthday, Dear Alice', a new comedy by Irish playwright Bernard Farrell in which the widow Alice fights her children's desire to put her in a nursing home.

Artistic director Sam Walters said: "We are presenting this special evening to complement the production of Happy Birthday, Dear Alice and to widen the debate about this most important issue. (We are also doing it at the time of year when we have a daytime concert party touring to local homes and day centres).

"Part one of the evening will consist of a documentary, performance by Orange Tree actors and lasting about 40 minutes, while part two will be a discussion, which we expect to involve interested parties from different areas of the debate.

"We hope by presentation of Happy Birthday, Dear Alice and the 'documentary' and the debate, that the Orange Tree will be playing its part in drawing attention to an area of concern that is likely to touch us all."

Entrance is £5 and there will be a collection after the show for a relevant charity.

For more information call the theatre box office on 8940 3633.