Join Dementia Research has collaborated with a theatre company behind a critically acclaimed production which tells the story of a dad dealing with dementia.

The Nature of Forgetting was created by Theatre Re and has been performed more than 200 times around the UK and internationally. 

What the play involves

The story explores the question of ‘what is left when memory is gone?’ and was developed in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Society and neuroscience expert Professor Kate Jeffery.

Through the portrayal of Tom, a 55-year old father dealing with early onset dementia, the Nature of Forgetting has a powerful emotional impact on theatregoers. 

Promoting Join Dementia Research through theatre

Join Dementia Research has joined up with Theatre Re so that people who feel compelled to make a difference after watching the show can do just that – by signing up to our registry. 

Our association with Theatre Re officially started with a performance at Theatre Royal Winchester, Hampshire, in March 2025. Join Dementia Research was promoted after the final curtain and there was also a Q&A session featuring a specialist dementia nurse and researcher Dr Samuel Nyman. 

The promotion will continue when the Nature of Forgetting heads to the world famous Edinburgh Festival Fringe between 9 and 23 August 2025. 

Ash Minchin, Stakeholder Engagement Manager at NIHR Research Delivery Network, said:

“Linking in with the amazing work Theatre-Re has done on their Nature of Forgetting performance is a great example of our efforts to explore new ways of engaging with people about health research. The subject matter of the performance provides a powerful reminder as to why research into conditions such as dementia is so important. Being able to provide people with an avenue to take action, in this case by signing up to our Join Dementia Research initiative, is something we are passionate about.”

Guillaume Pigé, Theatre Re Founder and Artistic Director, said:

“We are honoured to be able to collaborate with Join Dementia Research and the life-changing work that they do. This is our opportunity to not only develop empathy through our work but also to encourage people to take action and foster change. The Edinburgh Fringe Festival will be the opportunity to reach more audiences than ever before and we are thrilled to be able to carry-on our collaboration during that major event.”

Amanda Pattie, Study Support Services Manager for Out of Hospital Settings at NIHR South Central Regional Research Delivery Network, was part of our team who attended the Winchester show.  She said:

“We had a great evening, the show was very inspirational, emotive and engaging. The after show Q&A was a lovely way to include the audience and compare how the show reflected their experiences of memory loss. In addition it was brilliant to be able to promote Join Dementia Research as the audience seemed so receptive to anything supportive of improving outcomes for those with dementia.”

Take part in research

Log in to your Join Dementia Research account to check whether you have been invited to take part in a study. Or, if you are not already registered, sign up today.