Review: The Vanishing Nest, Aphra Theatre, Kent, UK

An interdisciplinary reflection on displacement, climate change, combining puppetry, live scoring, and research-led storytelling.

Presented as a work-in-progress following two weeks of intensive Research and Development, Unity Arts Collective’s The Vanishing Nest at the Aphra Theatre is a timely and touching exploration of climate change, displacement, and community resilience. Created by Surya Dev Chandra and written by Sarah Rose Jamieson, the piece follows a family of storks forced to flee their home due to devouring wildfires.

From the outset, James Frost’s set design and puppetry steal the show. The bird puppets are beautifully crafted, with intricate mechanics that allow the birds’ wings, legs, and necks to move in a lifelike during flight and walking movements. In some scenes, the staging makes clever use of light and backdrop shadow play, the puppets cast mesmerizing silhouettes, creating a breathtaking visual scene. A particularly interesting choice comes as the performers (Francisca Stangel, Hannah Hartwell, and Karl Fagerlund Brekkie) sometimes move beyond the puppets, using their own bodies to make birds like movements and deliver powerful physical sequences. The production also makes an important connection between environmental disaster and its impact on people, particularly children. The reference to the psychological consequences of climate change, including trauma and PTSD.

Raphael Papo’s live musical composition, supported by Nadia Mirza’s sound design, provides a rich, emotional pulse throughout the performance. The soundscape seamlessly blends live instrumentation, vocal work, and background sounds of rustling wings and crackling fire. In one of the evening's most heartbreaking sequences, the ensemble sings in their native languages amidst a raging fire soundscape. Later, as a member of the bird family dies in the foreground, a solo violin plays a quiet, painful melody that leaves the room spellbound.

As a work-in-progress piece, there are minor staging friction points to iron out notably, a few instances where the puppet wings collided with the stage curtain, breaking the visual illusion slightly. The narrative rhythm occasionally feels disjointed, with brief gaps in continuity. However, these moment-to-moment adjustments are minor against the strength of the overall concept.

The evening concluded with a fascinating research-sharing session led by conservation researcher Deepankar Mahabale and panel discussion, grounding the artistic performance in hard conservation data on bird displacement. The Vanishing Nest proves that when strong research meets deeply empathetic physical theatre, the result is a powerful call to action.

Reviewer: Kanta Biswas

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Created by: Surya Chandra

Writer & Researcher: Sarah Rose Jamieson

Conservation Researcher: Deepankar Mahabale

Set design and Puppetry: James Frost

Musician and Composer: Raphael Papo

Devised and Performer by: Francisca Stangel, Hannah Hartwell, Karl Fagerlund Brekkie

Ensemble and Sound: Nadia Mirza

Lighting Designer: Winky Szewai Chan

Venue & Performance Date: Aphra Theatre, University of Kent | 27 February 2026