The legendary post-punk band’s iconic story is set to return to Sheffield on 20 October as part of a nationwide tour, featuring a revamped script and stellar new cast.
When writer Brian Gorman moved from Chester to Salford almost 20 years ago, his imagination was instantly sparked by the rich history and cultural legacy of his new city. He stumbled upon the unforgettable story of a band he barely knew, a story he couldn’t wait to transform into something creative, heartfelt and honest. Originally inspired to write a comic book about his local area, Brian soon turned to the stage to give Joy Division’s journey the grandeur and theatricality it deserved.
“I knew they’d become New Order, but I didn’t know anything about Joy Division,” said Brian. “I started watching some videos, and almost immediately, they became my favourite band. I thought, rather than just make it about Salford, I’d make it about Joy Division.”
The play first premiered in 2013, intertwining the band’s rise to fame with over two centuries of Manchester’s history. It tells the story of four working-class lads in the 1970s who collaborated to form one of the most iconic bands of all time, before the untimely death of front man Ian Curtis in 1980 shocked the world.
Co-producer Nigel Carr, who joined the New Dawn Fades team three years ago, said: “I think at the time, the band didn’t realise they’d got something so special. There’s this gifted individual, this incredible story of how the band came together after the first Sex Pistols gig in Manchester sparked a punk revolution, and then there’s this tragic emotional story going on between Ian and Debbie Curtis. It really resonates with people on an emotional level, but it’s also very uplifting.”
As well as writing and directing, Brian Gorman plays founder of Factory Records Tony Wilson, who narrates the band’s complex musical and emotional journey as well as the story of Manchester itself, travelling all the way back to the city’s beginnings as a Roman settlement.
“We do manage to cram 2,000 years of history into an hour-and-a-half play,” said Brian. “What I love is that an audience coming to it for the first time thinks it’s just a play about Joy Division, and then immediately we’re in Roman times, and then we jump ahead 500 years, and people literally don’t know what’s going to come next. Last year, Nigel had an idea for a little something extra. The way the show ends isn’t what you might expect, but I won’t give anything away.”
Joy Division’s instantly recognisable sound continues to unite music-lovers of all kinds, and the play seeks to humanise the men behind the microphones, bringing their stories to life. Nigel said: “It resonates not only with Joy Division fans and post-punk fans but with lots of people, because it’s such an iconic story about a gifted individual. The word ‘genius’ is bandied around far too frequently these days, but Ian’s lyrics and his delivery were genius.”
“I always used to collect film soundtracks,” added Brian. “I wasn’t into contemporary music, but Joy Division’s music really suits stage or film or television, because it’s very atmospheric.”
Before he took on the role of Tony Wilson, Brian attended every performance of the play, never expecting it to grow into such an enormous success. He recalled the show’s very first performance, all the way back in 2013.
“I was sitting on the front row in a tiny little room with 30 people crammed in, on a hot summer’s evening – it was Ian Curtis’s birthday, because I asked specifically to do it then. The sound desk had a big problem halfway through a scene, so we lost ten minutes of the show, but the audience didn’t really notice and it still went really well. I had no idea this would work. I thought, will people enjoy all the historical stuff? Will they know that it links in with the story? But we got some fantastic reviews.”
The heartbreaking story of Ian Curtis’s death is central to the play, and the whole team is committed to addressing the topic with the upmost care and consideration.
“Mental health has never been more at the forefront of people’s minds than in this day and age,” said Nigel. “The big issue is that the band didn’t really understand the issues that Ian Curtis was facing at the time. It continues to impact audiences strongly today.”
Brian added: “You’ll cry and you’ll laugh and you’ll be joyful, it’s a real roller coaster. There’s so much emotion in it, so buckle up.”
New Dawn Fades heads to The Foundry on 20 October, and tickets can be found here.
