Photo credit: Roy Riley

Post by @federicabalbi

Seen at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ truly mesmerising

A couple and their younger double; a house near the sea and the catastrophe of coastal erosion. As slowly and inexorably as the rising of sea levels and the succession of heavy rains, dementia erodes the memory and capabilities of one of the protagonists.

Rarely is time depicted so powerfully on a stage. Breakfast after breakfast, the illness starts gaining terrain. Inventive use of props and original choreographies let the audience witness the inner world of the confused patient, for whom logic twists and changes, disbelief fails, fixations are but a manifestation of scraps of coherent thought. Memories of youth lift the atmosphere with playfulness and romance; the contrast of these elements creates a truly unforgettable show.

Bringing together circus, acrobatics and juggling with visual storytelling, Kook collective gracefully represents a story that is as simple and close to our everyday as it is heartbreaking. The technique of the four performers, Álvaro Grande, Dilly Taylor, Ebony Gumbs, and Myles MacDonald is impeccable, as is their expressivity.

Creators and directors Michaela O’Connor and Sean Kempton create an incredibly facetted mini world on the stage, using devices that let the representative melt into the imaginary, manufacturing a new, poetic grammar. A praise also to Adrian Linford, for his fantastic set design that explores liminal spaces and transfigures along the progression of the play, and to composer Tayo Akinbode and sound designer Pete Buffery, whose work provides the perfect counterpoint for emotions.

6^th-17^th of August; 1.30 pm

Running time: 60 minutes

Venue: Summerhall

Tickets and Info: https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/sand

Company Website: https://www.kookensemble.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kook_ensemble/