Brighton Fringe 2026
Unforgettable: An Alzheimer’s Cabaret!
Psychedelight
Genre: Cabaret, character comedy, Clown, Comedic, One Person Show, Theatrical Clown, Variety Show
Venue: BN1 Arts Centre CIC
Festival: Brighton Fringe
Low Down
Alzheimer’s is a disease that most of us will know too well – whether it’s a family member, friend or neighbour – we can all have a story to tell of the ‘tell tell’ signs of losing the person to this unforgiving disease. It’s the gradual erosion, the traits that seem to replace the person you once loved and in some cases the unpredictability. But let’s not forget hope too – hope is the common denominator that keeps families going – that shimmer of light when a person remembers who you are or who they were. We must forge a community, and we must find hope in the uncertainty…Hope is where you will find the beacon of all beacons that is Actor – Tamara Astor. Astor triumphs in this one woman show, morphing into many characters defined by a post it note and some carefully placed accessories – taking us on a journey into ‘The Forget-me-nots’, a wonderful care home run by the trigger-happy Jane, who tries desperately to keep all the residents calm and entertained.
This was a unique take on this cruel disease – you will be laughing one minute, then hearing the light sniffles of audience members as they discretely wipe their eyes – myself included. I really felt the energy in this room, the relatability and need to be present with Astor, which everyone totally was – as she reminds us, ‘pleasure is in the present, just might not stay.’
This show was a collaboration between Tamara Astor and Sophie Besse – a heartfelt account, with hauntingly moving singing, dark comedy and a few guest appearances from the resident clown Vivenne.
Review
Walking into the BN1 Arts Centre, in the pool of darkness is the hanging of lace tablecloths, an entourage of feathers and a lampshade – all familiar items, but all seemingly placed in an unusual ensemble. This was a great choice, placing us in the world of the characters with misplaced memory – I think I recognise this, but why is it over there? Equally the set works as a beautiful backdrop to Astors dramatic entrances and wonderfully captures some shadow imagery as residents are ‘shown’ to their new room.
Janet – the resident care worker takes us for a guided tour through Forget-me-nots, only to be bamboozled by resident Vivienne – she is all singing, all dancing – performed with a cheeky mask, with exquisite features, verging on the good side of madness, shocked by her behaviour but totally besotted at the same time. What Astor and Besse time beautifully here is the absurd walk, direction and interactions the clown has – bouldering into the unknown, with darker undertones. When Vivenne arrives with masking tape we cannot help but laugh and wonder what she will do, and the reality hits hard as misplacing items and forgetting one’s own items is a scenario ringing all too true in the world of someone in rapid cognitive decline – they cannot remember and they cannot place. This blend between comedy and tragedy serves the audience well, with the right balance – reminding us that finding laughter and joy in the present is so important. Astor’s interpretation of Vivienne is hilarious, and you are in complete awe as she hits all the high notes whilst with her head down – as the illusion of Vivienne comes to life.
What Unforgettable: An Alzheimer’s Cabaret! Succeeds in abundance, is the tender moments verses the frustration – Astor’s performance allows you to capture her at her most vulnerable, in between the humour and the upbeat play on words, we see the trauma coming through. I mean how long can you cope with being asked what the time is on repeat? And how many times are you expected to put the shaving foam back in it’s original place and not the Fridge? The original writing combined with some familiar songs, makes you really think about the confusion and difficulty a family member experiences bearing witness to the light leaving – the statistics are there in this performance but they are gift wrapped for us to soften the blow. Astor’s interpretation of Mary Poppin’s ‘Just a Spoon Full of Sugar’ with her own written lyrics, is witty and fun – the sarcastic housewife takes on the kitchen, layering her anxiety into each fold of the dough – relentless as each moment this character ‘Sarah’ is interrupted, “What’s the time Lucy?”. This satirical balance is perfect; we are happy to sway along and then real-life hits – this is powerful and essentially the reality.
So many stand out moments – when Astor is just ‘me’, taking us down memory lane of her treasured times spent with her father, all the memories of childhood supported by verbatim accounts – the words here are profound, memorable, ‘my Dad loved the sea.’ This majestical moments of dancing with her father – her Peter Pan – will stay with me. These wonderful audios of verbatim accounts really support the ‘individual’ in the story, perhaps these could have been incorporated into the tapestry of the set or performance even further? There is real scope for development here.
PSYCHEdelight’s creation of Unforgettable: An Alzheimer’s Cabaret! is a beautiful discovery of play and indeed tragedy by co-collaborators Astor and Besse, leaving us with enough hope that one day a cure will indeed be announced. This is not an easy topic to explore and with risk, but the risk is worth it – we need more theatre that challenges us and explores the complexities of this neurodegenerative disease, thank you to PSCHEdelights for providing this safe space for us to laugh, weep and sing.
Cathartic and unforgettable.
