Review: BRIGHTON FRINGE REVIEW: THE SHAPE OF THINGS UNDONE (an audio-only piece)

The concept of an audio-only theatrical experience is an intriguing one. Stripped entirely of visuals, The Shape of Things Undone asks its audience to engage through just a single sense, and in doing so it creates a deeply personal experience. The beauty of the format is that you can immerse yourself wherever you choose. I listened in my garden, surrounded by stillness, and it quickly became apparent that this calm environment was not just preferable, but necessary.

Written by Lita Doolan and performed by Julie Broadbent, this 30minute solo piece explores the fragility of humanity and the uneasy intersection between modern progress and human care. Narrated by Christine, a care home worker, the piece reflects on dementia as a lived and deeply personal grief. Christine recounts watching her father - once “an entire country” - slowly fade in front of her eyes, whilst simultaneously caring for residents experiencing the same heartbreaking decline.

The sound design is deliberately confrontational (one assumes!). Everyday noises are amplified into something abrasive and overwhelming; sharp, jarring sounds interrupt moments of stillness without warning. It can make for uncomfortable listening at times, but discomfort feels entirely intentional here. After all, dementia itself is not gentle.

Particularly affecting is Christine’s explanation that she has learnt to speak the language of “dust”. As the people around her gradually disappear - her patients, her father - dust is all that remains.

Broadbent’s performance is understated. And somehow...familiar? She captures the exhaustion that exists within caregiving, as well as a quiet acceptance of it.

The Shape of Things Undone may not be an easy listen, but it is an undeniably thoughtful and immersive exploration of memory, loss and human connection. I’ll be honest – the first five minutes didn’t grab me. I wasn’t sure where I was being taken. But with patience and an open mind, I found it quietly radical. And in a festival overflowing with visual spectacle all around our great City, this felt like a welcome departure into the quiet.

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