Words: Caitlin Finnerty

4 Stars

Theatre Re brings its acclaimed movement piece The Nature of Forgetting to Edinburgh, a visually rich, emotionally charged exploration of what remains when memory fades. Told almost entirely through movement and accompanied by a live band, it follows Tom, a man living with early-onset dementia, as he prepares for his 55th birthday and is swept back through fragments of his past.

The band’s piano, violin, drums, and various sound effects provide the heartbeat to a series of vivid scenes. Tom’s wardrobe becomes a portal: a school blazer whisks him back to the classroom; a navy jacket to his wedding; a scarf to childhood moments with his mother. These memories, at first joyous, are tinged with fragility, and the haunting recurrence of a car crash that claimed his wife.

The choreography is both playful and erratic, mirroring the way memories slip away or twist into a nightmare. Simple acts, like dressing, become battles against an uncooperative mind. Tender moments with family and friends pierce through the confusion, making the tragedy of his youth all the more stark.

This is a touching, beautifully crafted portrait of love, loss, and the fight to hold on.

The Nature of Forgetting
The Grand
Pleasance
13:15
Aug 12-23,