I was apprehensive about this production. Devised by Complicite, undoubtedly one of the most radical theatre groups around, this felt like a very difficult show to fully realise on the ADC stage. I must admit, however, that I was generally very impressed and, for the most part, won over by the end.

Mnemonic is a difficult show to describe: it opens with a speech from one of the cast members about memory, then two interwoven stories unravel, one about a woman abandoning her partner to search for her father, the other regarding Ötzi the Iceman, a 5000 year old mummy uncovered in the Alps in 1991. Exploring numerous themes, Mnemonic is an incredibly rich and intricate text: it is almost certainly worth seeing for this reason alone.

For the most part, the script was brought to life with care and creativity. All of the cast gave strong performances: Os Leanse and Avigail Tlalim, the two central characters, were both appropriately sensitive, developing a touching relationship, albeit staged in a slightly stagnant manner. The other actors took on multiple roles with great skill, switching between accents and languages with ease. A special mention should go to Martha Murphy, whose various characters seemed to have personality and depth. Despite only brief appearances, her Greek taxi driver was particularly impressive.

The tempo definitely slowed slightly towards the end, once we were entirely accustomed to the manner of the performance and no more surprises were in store. I personally found that the opening monologue, which forms an integral part of the production, was lacking in conviction: it was meant to be separate from the show itself, with an actor addressing an audience, but was too rehearsed, its meanderings unnatural instead of spontaneous.

Both the lighting and sound design were good, often creating distinct and immersive atmospheres. An occasional flash of bright light was especially effective, as were the bare bulbs that hung over the stage. I feel, however, that they could have both been pushed further. A projector was only used fleetingly and the background noises often became overwhelming. Microphones added another dimension to the actors' deliveries, although the overlapping and alternating dialogue needs some polishing to make it as slick as it should be. 

The set was distinctly underwhelming. A bathtub, a table and a bed constituted the majority of it and were moved around in clunky scene changes; the two curtains, one transparent, one with an Alpine mountain on it, could have been used in much more dynamic ways. The ADC stage is not the most spectacular space to work in but this production did not push it as far as it could have done.

Staging Mnemonic was a bold move and, overall, I would say it was a risk worth taking. It is nice to see something different being given this platform in Cambridge. I nevertheless left with one doubt: one of the first lines of Mnemonic asks why they decided to put on a play about memory, which quickly unravels into the opening discussion. When initially staged by Complicite, this would have been a personal and honest answer, with the company having devised the show themselves. The intimacy in this particular production was lacking, exposed by the script itself, and I found this pervaded throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed the production and the performances and design had me entirely engaged but I left slightly uncertain about the "why?". Mnemonic is sweet, moreish and unusual delicacy but it left a peculiar aftertaste in my mouth.