One of the most astonishing discoveries of modern times is the immensity of the past

mnemonic / ni'monik / adj. 1. assisting or intended to assist memory; 2. of memory

A body is found in the ice, and a woman is looking for her father while a man searches for his lost lover.

This story is as much about origins as it is about memory, and remembering what is lost.

As relevant in 2024 as it was in 1999, Mnemonic asks us: what is our place in the natural world? How have human relationships with the environment shaped patterns of migration? Who are we, and where do we come from?

Conceived and directed by Complicité's Artistic Director and Co-founder, Simon McBurney.

This edition was published to coincide with the production at the National Theatre's Olivier Theatre from June to August 2024.

Complicité is a constantly evolving ensemble of performers and collaborators originally founded in 1983, now led by Artistic Director Simon McBurney. Complicite's work has ranged from entirely devised work to theatrical adaptations and revivals of classic texts. The Company has also worked in other media; a radio production of Mnemonic for BBC Radio 3, collaborations with John Berger on a radio adaptation of his novel To The Wedding for BBC Radio and The Vertical Line, a multi-disciplinary installation performed in a disused tube station, commissioned by Artangel. Always changing and moving forward to incorporate new stimuli, the principles of the work have remained close to the original impulses: seeking what is most alive, integrating text, music, image and action to create surprising, disruptive theatre.