The Nature of Forgetting
About The Nature of Forgetting
“We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars... Everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings... There is something, way down deep that’s eternal about every human being... And that’s what’s left when memory is gone.”
Thornton Wilder, Our Town
The making of the The Nature of Forgetting started with a question: ‘what is left when memory is gone?’.
To develop the piece, we collaborated with UCL Neuroscience Professor Kate Jeffery. Research on memory and amnesia formed the basis and foundation of our explorations. In partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society we interviewed older members of the community, as well as people living with dementia and their carers, to create links between the science and real human experience.
Those of us living with dementia lose the ability to form and reconstruct memories. They struggle to think about the future. They are in the present and only in the present. Of course, this is debilitating, but could also be liberating and beautiful. It reminds us of Emily’s line in Our Town: ‘Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? - every, every minute?’.
If there is one takeaway from the past few years of making, touring, refining and breathing new life into The Nature of Forgetting - it's to remind ourselves to be present, in the moment, and realise life as we live it.
Ultimately, our piece is not about dementia. It is about the fragility of life and that eternal ‘something’ we all share that is left when memory is gone.
Duration: 75mins, no interval
Age recommendation: 8+
Press
‘Profoundly moving... An action packed celebration of life’ BBC Radio 4
'Extraordinary... So special, so surprising... It's magical.' Sarah Jessica Parker
‘Exquisitely beautiful and punishingly energetic... This is a special show.’ ★★★★★ The List
‘Renders superlatives near redundant... Utterly unmissable.’ ★★★★★ The Edinburgh Reporter
‘Incredible...The Nature Of Forgetting is a powerful reminder of the beauty of mime’ ★★★★★ GQ Magazine UK
‘Breath-taking and bold... A must see.’ ★★★★★ Broadway World
‘This is a work of serious importance.’ ★★★★★ ThreeWeeks Edinburgh
‘This is an extraordinary production.’ ★★★★★ London City Nights
‘The Nature of Forgetting is the highlight of the Fringe.’ ★★★★★ Theatre Bubble
‘This is an exceptionally fine piece of high-energy physical theatre.’ ★★★★★ Edinburgh Guide
‘Unbounded in its imagination and sensational in its execution...’ ★★★★★ The Wee Review
‘A joy to watch... Theatre Re has created something very special.’ ★★★★★ Reviews Hub
‘A truly beautiful, emotionally charged piece of work.’ ★★★★★ EdFringe Review
‘One of those incredibly beautiful pieces of theatre you are likely to remember for a long,
long time.’ ★★★★★ Theatre Weekly
‘A production which is truly unforgettable.’ ★★★★★ Fringe Review
'A phenomenal example of true theatrical magic.' ★★★★★ TheatreReview NYC
'Extremely profound, poetic and communicative' La Republica, Rodolfo di Giammarco
Winner ThreeWeeks Editor’s Award
Features
Interview with East London Guardian - here
Interview with Ham&High - here
Interview with The Vile Blog - here
Inteview with The Edinburgh Reporter - here
Creative Team
Conceived & Directed - Guillaume Pigé
Devised by the Company
Isabella / Sophie – Louise Wilcox (2017 to 2023), Luna Tosin (current)
Emma / Mrs Denis - Eygló Belafonte or Claudia Marciano
Mike – Matthew Austin (2017-2019), Calum Littley (current)
Tom – Guillaume Pigé
Multi-instrumentalist / Teacher – Alex Judd or Henry Webster
Percussionist / Schoolboy – Chris Jones (2017 - 2022), Keiran Pearson (2017 - 2019), Nathan Gregory (current)
Composer - Alex Judd
Lighting Designer - Katherine Graham
Rehearsal Director - Eygló Belafonte
Re-lighter, Stage & Stage Manager - Josephine Tremelling (2017 to 2023), Ross Hayward (current)
Sound Technician & Deputy Stage Manager - Benjamin Adams
Associate Lighting Designer - Lucy Adams (2017)
Costume & Prop Designer - Malik Ibheis
Dramaturg - A.C. Smith
Scientific Collaborator - Professor Kate Jeffery
External Curator - Andrew Visnevski
Devisers - Matthew Austin, Malik Ibheis, Chris Jones, Alex Judd, Fred McLaren, Keiran Pearson, Guillaume Pigé, Eygló Belafonte, Andres Velasquez, Louise Wilcox.
Past Performances
Work-in-progress, Lincoln Drill Hall (Lincoln, 2016)
Work-in-progress, South Hill Park Arts Centre (Bracknell, 2016)
Preview performance, The Point Eastleigh (Eastleigh, 2017)
World Première, London International Mime Festival at Shoreditch Town Hall (London, 2017)
Latitude Festival, Theatre Arena (Suffolk, 2017)
Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Part of British Council Edinburgh Showcase 2017, Pleasance Forth (August 2017)
Brazil (Feverestival Campinas, SESC Santana Sao Paulo - 2018)
Peru (FAE Festival - 2018)
UK TOUR - Spring 2018:
West Yorkshire Playhouse, Norwich Playhouse, The Quary Theatre, The Lowry, Tobacco Factory Theatres, The Mac Belfast, Shoreditch Town Hall, Worthing Theatre - Part of Brighton Festival, The Dukes Lancaster, The Gulbenkian, South Hill Park , Ffwrnes, The Courtyard, The Cornerstone Arts Centre.
US Tour (East Coast) - Autumn 2018:
University of Massachusetts, Virginia State University, Raritan Valley Community College, Pinkerton Academy, Lafayette College, Stockton University, Bucknell University, Connecticut College, University of Maine, Reading Area Community College, University of Richmond, The Ringling, University of North Carolina
South Korea (Wooran Foundation, Seoul - 2019)
Hong Kong (Hong Kong Culural Centre, Hong Kong Arts Festival - 2019)
USA (New Victory Theater, New York City - 2019)
Taiwan (Kaohsiung Spring Arts Festival and National Taichung Theatre - 2019)
UK (Salisbury International Arts Festival - 2019)
Mexico (Cerventino Internacional Festival Guanajuato, Teatro del Bicentenario Leon - 2019)
US Tour (Midwest) - Autumn 2019:
Walton Arts Centre, Hettenhausen Centre for the Arts, St Mary's College, Unity Knight Centre, Clark Stage Community College, Luther College, St John University, Krannert Centre for the Performing Arts
Luxembourg (Les Théatres de la Ville) - 2023
UK Tour - Winter 2023:
London International Mime Festival at Shoreditch Town Hall, The Lowry, Edge Hill University, Northern Stage
South Korea Tour - Summer 2023:
BIPAF 2023, Goyang Arts Center
China - Winter 2023:
Theatre Young (Shanghai)
UK Tour - Winter 2024:
The Crucible (Sheffield), The Lighthouse (Poole), Norwich Playhouse (Norwich), Aberystwyth Arts Centre (Aberystwyth), RWCMD (Cardfiff), The Storyhouse (Chester)
China - Autumn 2024:
National Performing Arts Centre (Beijing)
UK - Spring 2025:
Winchester Theatre Royal (Winchester)
UK - Summer 2025:
Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Pleasance Grand
UK - Autum 2025:
Warwick Arts Centre (Warwick)
“We all know that something is eternal. And it ain’t houses and it ain’t names, and it ain’t earth, and it ain’t even the stars... Everybody knows in their bones that something is eternal, and that something has to do with human beings... There is something, way down deep that’s eternal about every human being... And that’s what’s left when memory is gone.”
Thornton Wilder, Our Town
The making of the The Nature of Forgetting started with a question: ‘what is left when memory is gone?’.
To develop the piece, we collaborated with UCL Neuroscience Professor Kate Jeffery. Research on memory and amnesia formed the basis and foundation of our explorations. In partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society we interviewed older members of the community, as well as people living with dementia and their carers, to create links between the science and real human experience.
Those of us living with dementia lose the ability to form and reconstruct memories. They struggle to think about the future. They are in the present and only in the present. Of course, this is debilitating, but could also be liberating and beautiful. It reminds us of Emily’s line in Our Town: ‘Do any human beings ever realize life while they live it? - every, every minute?’.
If there is one takeaway from the past few years of making, touring, refining and breathing new life into The Nature of Forgetting - it's to remind ourselves to be present, in the moment, and realise life as we live it.
Ultimately, our piece is not about dementia. It is about the fragility of life and that eternal ‘something’ we all share that is left when memory is gone.
Duration: 75mins, no interval
Age recommendation: 8+
Press
‘Profoundly moving... An action packed celebration of life’ BBC Radio 4
'Extraordinary... So special, so surprising... It's magical.' Sarah Jessica Parker
‘Exquisitely beautiful and punishingly energetic... This is a special show.’ ★★★★★ The List
‘Renders superlatives near redundant... Utterly unmissable.’ ★★★★★ The Edinburgh Reporter
‘Incredible...The Nature Of Forgetting is a powerful reminder of the beauty of mime’ ★★★★★ GQ Magazine UK
‘Breath-taking and bold... A must see.’ ★★★★★ Broadway World
‘This is a work of serious importance.’ ★★★★★ ThreeWeeks Edinburgh
‘This is an extraordinary production.’ ★★★★★ London City Nights
‘The Nature of Forgetting is the highlight of the Fringe.’ ★★★★★ Theatre Bubble
‘This is an exceptionally fine piece of high-energy physical theatre.’ ★★★★★ Edinburgh Guide
‘Unbounded in its imagination and sensational in its execution...’ ★★★★★ The Wee Review
‘A joy to watch... Theatre Re has created something very special.’ ★★★★★ Reviews Hub
‘A truly beautiful, emotionally charged piece of work.’ ★★★★★ EdFringe Review
‘One of those incredibly beautiful pieces of theatre you are likely to remember for a long,
long time.’ ★★★★★ Theatre Weekly
‘A production which is truly unforgettable.’ ★★★★★ Fringe Review
'A phenomenal example of true theatrical magic.' ★★★★★ TheatreReview NYC
'Extremely profound, poetic and communicative' La Republica, Rodolfo di Giammarco
Winner ThreeWeeks Editor’s Award
Features
Interview with East London Guardian - here
Interview with Ham&High - here
Interview with The Vile Blog - here
Inteview with The Edinburgh Reporter - here
Creative Team
Conceived & Directed - Guillaume Pigé
Devised by the Company
Isabella / Sophie – Louise Wilcox (2017 to 2023), Luna Tosin (current)
Emma / Mrs Denis - Eygló Belafonte or Claudia Marciano
Mike – Matthew Austin (2017-2019), Calum Littley (current)
Tom – Guillaume Pigé
Multi-instrumentalist / Teacher – Alex Judd or Henry Webster
Percussionist / Schoolboy – Chris Jones (2017 - 2022), Keiran Pearson (2017 - 2019), Nathan Gregory (current)
Composer - Alex Judd
Lighting Designer - Katherine Graham
Rehearsal Director - Eygló Belafonte
Re-lighter, Stage & Stage Manager - Josephine Tremelling (2017 to 2023), Ross Hayward (current)
Sound Technician & Deputy Stage Manager - Benjamin Adams
Associate Lighting Designer - Lucy Adams (2017)
Costume & Prop Designer - Malik Ibheis
Dramaturg - A.C. Smith
Scientific Collaborator - Professor Kate Jeffery
External Curator - Andrew Visnevski
Devisers - Matthew Austin, Malik Ibheis, Chris Jones, Alex Judd, Fred McLaren, Keiran Pearson, Guillaume Pigé, Eygló Belafonte, Andres Velasquez, Louise Wilcox.
Past Performances
Work-in-progress, Lincoln Drill Hall (Lincoln, 2016)
Work-in-progress, South Hill Park Arts Centre (Bracknell, 2016)
Preview performance, The Point Eastleigh (Eastleigh, 2017)
World Première, London International Mime Festival at Shoreditch Town Hall (London, 2017)
Latitude Festival, Theatre Arena (Suffolk, 2017)
Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Part of British Council Edinburgh Showcase 2017, Pleasance Forth (August 2017)
Brazil (Feverestival Campinas, SESC Santana Sao Paulo - 2018)
Peru (FAE Festival - 2018)
UK TOUR - Spring 2018:
West Yorkshire Playhouse, Norwich Playhouse, The Quary Theatre, The Lowry, Tobacco Factory Theatres, The Mac Belfast, Shoreditch Town Hall, Worthing Theatre - Part of Brighton Festival, The Dukes Lancaster, The Gulbenkian, South Hill Park , Ffwrnes, The Courtyard, The Cornerstone Arts Centre.
US Tour (East Coast) - Autumn 2018:
University of Massachusetts, Virginia State University, Raritan Valley Community College, Pinkerton Academy, Lafayette College, Stockton University, Bucknell University, Connecticut College, University of Maine, Reading Area Community College, University of Richmond, The Ringling, University of North Carolina
South Korea (Wooran Foundation, Seoul - 2019)
Hong Kong (Hong Kong Culural Centre, Hong Kong Arts Festival - 2019)
USA (New Victory Theater, New York City - 2019)
Taiwan (Kaohsiung Spring Arts Festival and National Taichung Theatre - 2019)
UK (Salisbury International Arts Festival - 2019)
Mexico (Cerventino Internacional Festival Guanajuato, Teatro del Bicentenario Leon - 2019)
US Tour (Midwest) - Autumn 2019:
Walton Arts Centre, Hettenhausen Centre for the Arts, St Mary's College, Unity Knight Centre, Clark Stage Community College, Luther College, St John University, Krannert Centre for the Performing Arts
Luxembourg (Les Théatres de la Ville) - 2023
UK Tour - Winter 2023:
London International Mime Festival at Shoreditch Town Hall, The Lowry, Edge Hill University, Northern Stage
South Korea Tour - Summer 2023:
BIPAF 2023, Goyang Arts Center
China - Winter 2023:
Theatre Young (Shanghai)
UK Tour - Winter 2024:
The Crucible (Sheffield), The Lighthouse (Poole), Norwich Playhouse (Norwich), Aberystwyth Arts Centre (Aberystwyth), RWCMD (Cardfiff), The Storyhouse (Chester)
China - Autumn 2024:
National Performing Arts Centre (Beijing)
UK - Spring 2025:
Winchester Theatre Royal (Winchester)
UK - Summer 2025:
Edinburgh Festival Fringe - Pleasance Grand
UK - Autum 2025:
Warwick Arts Centre (Warwick)
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