Every day for the past ten years Martin (John Rayment) has taken the day off his taxi job to visit the dentist for a root canal, although he doesn’t like doing it but knows he needs to get his teeth sorted out. However, as the audience discovers in Timeless the dentist appointment was ten years ago and has left Martin with no short-term memory and nothing he remembers can be trusted. Based on a true story Timeless explores how it must feel to live trapped inside your memory.
Set in Martin’s living room which has now become the place he spends the majority of his time, predominantly for his safety as he cannot go out on his own anymore. His wife Tracy (who we never see) has been there throughout his diagnosis at the cost of her happiness.
The storyline unfolds gently at first pulling you into feeling sympathy towards Martin, his fear of knowing he doesn’t know things that have happened and relies on others to be his memory and teacher.
Struggling to turn on “his” television and phone, Martin gets frustrated and angry and ends up having to wait for his son Jamie to come out of his bedroom to help him or the “family’s” close friend Neil to pop round and help Tracy out. He looks forward to his daughter Megan visiting with his granddaughter (Lily) well he thinks he does, if he can remember.
Charlotte Peters directs Rayment through the frustrations and anger caused by the condition “anterograde amnesia” where every day he has to be reminded of who he is and how to do things. An exhaustive life for everyone around him. I admire how the tension builds up throughout the play leaving Martin facing the truth about the past.
The tightly woven storyline unfolds at a natural pace. Where the audience is learning the truth about the taxi driver’s past at the same time as Martin remembers and has to face reality for another day. Although some things are best forgotten.
For more information about Timeless and Anterograde Amnesia please check out the links below.
Five Stars
https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/timeless
Anterograde Memory
Theatre, Art and Film Reviews 
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