Edinburgh Fringe 2026
SAND
Kook Ensemble
Genre: Acrobatics, Dance and Movement Theatre, Experimental, Mime, Physical Theatre, Storytelling
Venue: Main Hall at Summerhall
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
Sand.
‘Good only knows what I’d be without you.’
And this is the music playing within the theatre as the light’s dimmer. The reality is that without the help, someone with Dementia is constantly lost, trying to get back to their previous life and then looping their reality in a new space which is between emptiness and eventually a fear in some cases, as the partner tries to allow them to ‘be’ in the here and now, but the truth is they can’t.
Each year, the festivals are beginning to experiment more so with the slow burning of the disease we know all too well – Dementia, but what is more so interesting than revisiting the pain in a realistic interpretation, like with any art is finding new ways/approaches to retell the feelings and fractured memories surrounding individuals who experience debilitating forms of memory loss. I guess with this there is a form of separation to the grief but also a way to allow you to process the loss – and on this viewing, I found the piece very cathartic, which I am sure others will also.
With a cast of 4, Kook Ensemble carefully bring you in to a story of a couple named Dylan (Played by Myles MacDonald) and Heather (played by Dilly Taylor) who seek to present a loving harmony of two people with ordinary lives, living their routines but simultaneously content with their normality of sharing breakfast together and listening to their favourite music and beginning their day the same. Here in this moment the couple are happy with this and appear content. Until slowly, the patterns begin to break – through the slow deterioration of memory – represented by Kook theatre by their secret ingredient – SAND. This was truly an interesting take – the combination of Sand and acrobatics to explore fading relationships – in particular focusing on Dylan and his ability to slowly lose hold of his reality. We have all played that game with a timer of sand to signify time is running out, well imagine this on a bigger scale – a stage with physical theatre and acrobatics. You have to see it to feel the power behind the metaphor.
Review
Diving into the Pleasance Theatre, is a minimal set with some simplistic props that resemble the essence of being by the seaside – close to nature and a home – the home of Dylan and Heather. With some interesting props and signs – ‘please keep off the grass’ – a metaphor for Dylan’s dirty shoes in the house perhaps, but essentially the space sets a foundation of a bay separated by clear boulders of the coast – the Coast of Devon. Here the cast interchange between their past, present and future – finding memories of their first meeting in a Supermarket, as their ‘younger’ selves enter the stage in a clear duality of role which gives the work a balance here, as without the light in these stories some works can be a hard watch. Ebony Gumbs and Alvaro Grande, spring into formation delivering a wonderful routine of acrobatics – tricks of trust and flirtation, as Grande impresses Gumbs with his presenting of different vegetables from a store. This was fun, and a great segment to explore the happiness in Dylan and Heather’s relationship and how this began. We hear a brief interlude of political figures discussing Care Homes, a sublimanial message of the current state of our elders in the care system in the United Kingdom and the need to do more.
What is truly magical in this show is the symbolism behind the sand and the commitment between the actors on stage, how they conveyed a person’s attachment to old items and eventually just one – the cup was the focus in this show and how this was explored physically through the grains of sand was just a beautiful and simply way to show the attachment to items. In other segments the cast use door handles in quick succession to capture that just going into a different room – like a toilet or kitchen – can feel completely alien or unworldly for someone suffering from Dementia. Stunning.
There are many powerful moments to celebrate in this piece, the immense emotion when the ensemble come together to show Dylan’s emotionally journey of becoming lost and essentially trying to find his way back to himself and his former life. When Alvaro Grande jumped into the arms of Myles Macdonald we felt it. I guess we never truly know what it feels like for a person with Dementia, we can observe, we can infer but we cannot feel their emotions and yet – here – Kook ensemble capture that time is running out and life is becoming limited through a special sequence of balance and movement between boulders, as Dylan and Heather try to connect their heads but essentially they cannot find the connection – their younger selves played by Gumbs and Grande try to ‘leap’ and ‘weave’ their way back to their bodies but they can’t – harrowing and beautifully choreography here.
On this viewing, I would have liked to have seen further connection between Dylan and Heather at the start, I guess what makes their relationship so special aside from the routines and music choice? It may however have been a choice/intention to have these characters more neutral in places, with their ‘younger selves’ more animated/alive to symbolise the oppressive condition and how it takes hold of a person’s personality stage by stage. Gumbs and Grande captured the youthful playful energy of young love throughout, keeping Dylan and Heather’s memories alive. The acrobatics will not be for everyone, as sometimes the movements heighten the emotion/narrative and in others disrupts the flow. That said, this work is unique to the subject matter and truly has some heart wrenching moments that are defined by the gradual loss of a cliff’s bay – the eroding boulders that get displaced in the sea. Heather’s dance solo, was a beautiful example, her stillness as Dylan can no longer interact with her body is heart breaking – when you see animals go back for their soulmates and they fail to move – I felt this. In these moments Kook Ensemble create shattering theatre that really moved us.
This is powerful work, cathartic and with joyous moments – I could talk about the final 15 minutes for hours but don’t want to ruin the ending – but essentially this was outstanding storytelling here. With a slow start, SAND really takes flight as the work progresses, using pillars, sand and acrobatics to convey a heartbreaking disease – you could feel the ‘wow’ by the ending with the communal audience reaction and there is real magic here. This piece will help many and will continue to evoke and inspire different ways of exploring challenging topics for many people. Kook Ensemble are a Company to watch – try and see this before the Fringe is over, the imaginative visuals will certainly move you.
