The Nature of Forgetting at Hackney Empire, London Review
Theatre Re’s The Nature of Forgetting. Photo: Johan Persson
Theatre Re’s The Nature of Forgetting is a beautiful journey through memories that are slipping away. Developed through work with the Alzheimer’s Society, they tell the story of a man, Tom (Guillaume Pigé), who is suffering from early onset dementia. As all of his memories rush back they overlap, they repeat, they become his reality again. By focusing on the joy in the everyday and the love that made up Tom’s life, The Nature of Forgetting makes seeing pieces of those memories stall or slip away all the more moving.
The way this ensemble use music to bring us into Tom’s mind is incredibly effective; the deep bass in some of the moments of forgetting or of loss resound in your chest, whereas moments of silence feel so sudden, so empty, that you feel how lost Tom suddenly must be. The music shines in the most joyful moments of the show, as Alex Judd’s compositions bring you to the heights of the very best memories Tom’s mind can conjure up.
Katherine Graham’s lighting design works with the score to take us clearly through Tom’s memories, to help us see where Tom’s focus is, to feel what he feels. The lighting gives punch to the most emotional aspects of the story, and in the moments where the music, the lighting, the movement are all at their height, it is unforgettable theatre.
Movement, of course, is central to everything; the creation of repeating sequences and reference points gives the company a pattern to break. Each time a memory suddenly gets stuck or stalls becomes increasingly heartbreaking as you get to know the world Tom is losing.
All of the performers work seamlessly together, travelling through the lives of their characters with Tom’s memories, creating school scenes, weddings, and more with endless energy. They are brilliant at world-building, giving every gesture character, always adding the little jokes and moments of affection that give every scene depth. Even when performers are in the background of the scene they are creating story, bringing the memories in their entirety to life.
When addressing such a desperately sad subject I love that this production is entirely centred on valuing human relationships, the way that the loss of a memory is a loss of all these shared moments, but that the love and joy still remain. In that sense, this feels like a deeply life affirming show, and one which I think everyone ought to take their chance to see now that it is back on tour.
The Nature of Forgetting will be touring until Spring 2027 in the UK and China, so get your diaries out and book it before it sells out.
★★★★★
Written by Jasmine for Theatre and Tonic, October 2026.