London's Theatre Re Explores Dementia Through Physical Theater In THE NATURE OF FORGETTING

Flying downhill on a bicycle. Whispering with a sweetheart. Wedding toasts and first dances. With intricate choreography and a cinematic live musical score, Theatre Re creates a powerful visual narrative about a father experiencing early onset dementia in The Nature of Forgetting, playing at The New Victory Theater March 23 - 31, 2019.

It's Tom's 55th birthday and he needs to get dressed. As he reaches for his clothes, the feel of a jacket here or a tie there triggers vivid memories of friendship, love and regret before they slip and unravel from his fragile mind. In a captivating style that embraces physical theater and live music, Theatre Re beautifully articulates the countless dimensions of memory loss and the intense joy, heartache and clarity of those moments that mark a life well lived.

To create The Nature of Forgetting, London-based Theatre Re consulted neuroscientist Kate Jeffery to understand how the mind reconstructs, deconstructs and misconstructs memories. Over a 16-month development process, the international ensemble conducted workshops and interviews with people living with dementia and their caregivers.

Says Theatre Re Artistic Director Guillaume Pig , Our aim was not to make a show about dementia, but to use forgetting as a way to explore what is left when memory is gone. The challenge of creating a powerful moment that then begins to disappear on stage was very appealing. Figuring out how to show forgetting is where the art of physical theater and mime take its full potential.

The Nature of Forgetting premiered in January 2017 and is directed by Pig with composition and music direction by Alex Judd, costumes and prop design by Malik Ibheis, lighting design by Katherine Graham and dramaturgy by A.C. Smith. The cast includes Matthew Austin, Eyglo Belafonte, Chris Jones and Louise Wilcox, as well as Pig and Judd.

Established in 2009, Theatre Re is quickly becoming an international standard-bearer for powerful physical productions on the human condition. Theatre Re productions have toured widely in the UK as well as in France, Ireland, Switzerland and Germany. Festival appearances include the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, London International Mime Festival, and Avignon Off in France.

The Nature of Forgetting is presented with the support of TILT Kids Festival.

Learn more about The Nature of Forgetting at NewVictory.org.

Public Performance Schedule:

• Saturday, March 23 at 2pm / 7pm
• Sunday, March 24 at 12pm / 5pm
• Saturday, March 30 at 2pm / 7pm
• Sunday, March 31 at 12pm / 5pm*

*sign-interpreted performance

The Nature of Forgetting has a running time of 75 minutes with no intermission, and is recommended for ages 9 and up.

Full-price tickets for The Nature of Forgetting start at $17. Tickets are available online (http://www.newvictory.org/boxoffice) and by phone (646.223.3010).

To purchase tickets in person, the New Victory box office is located at 209 West 42nd Street (between 7th / 8th Avenues). Box office hours are Sunday & Monday from 11am-5pm and Tuesday through Saturday from 12pm-7pm.

To post a comment, you must register and login.