THE NATURE OF FORGETTING
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
★★★★★
“The movement takes on the task of speaking—in a universal language that we can all understand”
Theatre Re’s remarkable The Nature of Forgetting has returned to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Last seen here in 2017, this show is about Tom, a man suffering from early onset dementia. It’s a sensitive and incredibly moving exploration, created with the assistance of neuroscience professor Kate Jeffery and the Alzheimer’s Society. Director Guillaume Pigé, who directs and performs the role of Tom, leads a talented company that includes live music composed by Alex Judd.
The Nature of Forgetting asks us to consider “what is left when memory is gone?” For Tom, early onset dementia means that he is losing his ability to access his memories. He struggles to form an idea of the future. There is only the eternal present, a jumble of impressions that jump back and forth from childhood to parenthood in no particular order. We see the child Tom, brimming with energy and mischief at home and school; on his wedding day; graduating from university; but perhaps the scenes that pack the most emotional punch are those of relative stillness—Tom struggling to put on a jacket, and to find the tie that his daughter has placed for easy access in his pocket. Time shifting from scene to scene is indicated by changes in lighting, in music. Also in costumes, drawn from racks that border the playing area. Breaks in memory are similarly indicated by sudden dissonances from the live band. It’s all ingeniously and deftly managed.
Theatre Re’s own brand of physical theatre, influenced by Etienne Decroux, consists of smartly choreographed performances that has the actors moving on and off stage with speed and precision, carrying whatever props and costumes they need. It is a highly energized style, and this energy continues even in moments of stillness. The music and the lighting (designed by Katherine Graham and relit for the Edinburgh Fringe performances by Ross Hayward) are the essential pieces that hold it all together. Percussionist Nathan Gregory and multi-instrumentalist Henry Webster even step away from their instruments and into the cast from time to time, playing small roles alongside the main performers Calum Littley, Claudio Marciano, Pigé and Luna Tosin. It’s a joy to watch the performers use their bodies and their props to create a montage of images that include the joy of riding a bicycle, but also a tension ridden car ride, with Tom a passenger next to his angry and alienated wife. Most extraordinary of all is the fact that The Nature of Forgetting is performed almost entirely without words. The movement takes on the task of speaking—in a universal language that we can all understand.
This show is a highlight of the 2025 Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and I urge you to see it if you can. It’s memorable in the best sense. It will give you a real appreciation for the gift of memory, and empathy for those who struggle.
THE NATURE OF FORGETTING
Edinburgh Festival Fringe
Reviewed on 16th August 2025 at Grand at Pleasance Courtyard
by Dominica Plummer
Photography by Johan Persson
