Sand dance review: A quietly devastating portrait
Circus theatre transforms a day at the beach into a poignant meditation on love, memory and dementia
There are no words spoken in Sand, yet by its final moments it manages to say an extraordinary amount about love, memory and the devastating gradual losses caused by dementia. The circus theatre show follows a couple whose seemingly normal day at the beach begins to slowly fracture as Dylan’s dementia increasingly intrudes upon their life together.
Sand is constantly shifting beneath the performers, footprints disappear as quickly as they are made and the coastline itself becomes a metaphor for memory being steadily eroded. At one point, Dylan appears unable to recognise Heather, pushing her away despite her attempts to reach him. Moments of confusion and agitation become increasingly frantic. Through striking movements and an evocative soundtrack, the effect is quietly devastating.
The show finds a deeply human way of portraying dementia; not only the confusion and loss, but the love that remains when memories start to disappear.
Sand, Summerhall until 17 August, 1.30pm; picture: Carina Simões.