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New Dawn Fades, which is currently at Liverpool Epstein theatre, is the enigmatic title of Brian Gorman’s play unearthing not only the story of Ian Curtis and Joy Division, but also of Manchester and its influences on the writing prowess of one the most mystifying writers of late 70s and early 80s music. It is also an experience to witness.
After all, there can’t be too many plays about a popular music icon to include visitations from Roman legionnaires, Frederick Engels and including a brief history of the city’s architecture – which, to be fair, is something of a blessing – and all fronted by Mr Manchester himself, Anthony H. Wilson, played here with a catchy airiness by Lee Joseph.
This, however, is not a tribute show, nor is it a Jukebox musical. This is an examination of Ian Curtis – played extremely well by Michael Whittaker who manages to wear the Curtis heart on his sleeve yet still manages to imbue the character with enough ambiguity to leave us wanting to know more. It is also an insight into his band, how they worked and how they were formed – out of the ashes of Warsaw, they somehow, as you do, adopted the moniker from the euphemistic title given to the prostitution sections of German concentration camps – and successfully, in part, provides and interesting insight into what eventually became the catalyst for Brit Pop and all that entailed.
It is Bill Bradshaw as Peter Hook, though, who really catches the eye inasmuch as his are the lighter moments, the grit and devil-may-care gusto that all success stories are founded on and Bradshaw encapsulates these all superbly well.
There are some issues though, not least of which being the fact that the first half could have a good twenty minutes pruned from its length, whilst also injecting more pace and aesthetic tension between Curtis’ struggles and juggles between his day job of being a civil servant who worked with the mentally disabled and his wanting to write music.
There is also the fact that Love Will Tear Us Apart becomes a poem rather than a song, which somewhat dilutes proceedings after the vibrancy of the opening is played at full tilt. If there is one suggestion to make things a little slicker, it would be to allow Curtis to narrate his own tale, with Wilson adding his influence as a pivotal character instead.
With all this said, however, New Dawn Fades remains something of a victory in the art of telling a complicated story with clarity, whilst never daring to preach as to why the singer decided to end everything so dramatically.
New Dawn Fades
The Epstein Theatre, Liverpool
April 7 – April 9, 2016
Author: Brian Gorman
Director: James Foster
Cast Includes: Lee Joseph, Michael Whittaker, Natalie Perry, Nathaniel McCartney, Bill Bradshaw, Matthew Bradshaw, Giles Bastow, Phil Dennison, Sean Mason
Running Time: 2 hrs 20 mins
PR Rating: *** Intriguing Insight