Sheffield’s Joe Carnall Jr, best known as the frontman of Milburn, has seen his musical How Could I Forget? picked up by Sheffield Theatres following its successful debut in 2025. The production premiered to sell-out performances at the University of Sheffield’s Drama Studio in May, where it received strong reviews. The musician has since performed songs from the show with cast members at live events.
Written by Carnall and directed by Laura Partridge, the show acts as a love letter to grandparents, exploring the emotional impact of Alzheimer’s on both those living with the condition and the families around them. The musical is inspired by the writer’s own experience, having lost his grandfather to the disease.
Set in Sheffield, the play follows Billy, a young man navigating student life and family responsibilities while his grandfather faces Alzheimer’s. The narrative moves between past and present, memory and reality, with moments from different decades colliding around a living room piano.
Ahead of the new run, Carnall told Exposed: “It’s an honour to finally get How Could I Forget? onto the Sheffield Theatres stage. We received such a warm and powerful response after the previews in 2025 – this seemed like the natural next step.
“Writing a musical is a long, old process and this is a milestone moment: today the Broadfield, tomorrow Broadway. Or summat like that”
The show will be staged at the Tanya Moiseiwitsch Playhouse from 9–11 October 2026. The 2pm performance on Saturday 10 October will be a dementia-friendly showing, ensuring it’s accessible to anyone who may wish to attend.
Tickets are available from Saturday 15 March here
