Tom has early onset dementia so he struggles with his short-term memory and is prone to getting confused. His daughter Sophie is trying to help him get dressed for his birthday party, but he gets muddled up over which jacket and tie he’s meant to wear. When he puts on the wrong one that’s tucked at the back of his clothes rail, his mind whisks him away to his past.
The ensemble cast use physical theatre and some spoken text to depict key moments from Tom’s life. These quick scenes mostly have a sentimental nostalgia to them. They sometimes loop or blend into each other, or repeat as motifs. Many show his school days, which are energetic and carefree, that provide a generalised sense of Tom as a character. There is some tonal variation as we see him fall in love and grow up, but it gets repetitive after a while both structurally and in terms of content. The performances are accomplished and the original score performed by live musicians is impressive, but there aren’t any big shifts or surprises.
The most valuable aspect of the production is its novel approach to our perception of dementia. Despite the title, there is less of a focus on forgetting. Instead of an absence of memories, Tom experiences a flood of them. Though he frustrates his daughter in the present and it’s horrible when family and friends don’t recognise us, being able to relive our best times doesn’t seem so bad.
The Nature of Forgetting, Pleasance Courtyard, until 23 Aug (not 20), 1.15pm