Review: New Dawn Fades, Bloomsbury Theatre

As someone who grew up listening to Joy Division and my parents’ many stories of the Manchester music scene, New Dawn Fades presents an alluring chronicle of the band’s rise to fame. This is a story of four ordinary lads who went on to become one of the most influential bands coming out of the post-punk scene of the early 80s. 

We’re taken right back to the beginning, before the band’s formation, as Tony Wilson graces the stage. Brian Gorman does a great job of mimicking Wilson’s mannerisms and manner of speaking. Introducing himself as a Granada Reports journalist, he guides the audience through a history of Manchester, going right back to the Roman Fort that established ‘Mamucium’, where he is bizarrely joined onstage by a poorly dressed Roman. The audience are then guided through the band’s early years and the chance encounters that brought these music icons together. 

It becomes obvious as the play unfolds that it is a piece aimed at the fanbase rather than intending to be a ground-breaking theatre endeavour. The writing throws in jokes and comedic relief, such as a jab at Salford not being part of Manchester, as well as dramatising Joy Division’s journey as a band. However, the constant jumps between Wilson’s narration and acting out scenes between band members or Ian Curtis’ relationship with Debbie feels jaunty, creating a choppy pace that doesn’t allow for immersion in the story. Even when we get to Curtis’ suffering at the hands of epilepsy, where Josh Lonsdale provides a vivid, harrowing visual of an epileptic fit, Wilson jumps in with a long-winded explanation that seems neither natural nor appropriate. 

For the most part, it is the writing that is problematic. The characters aren’t fleshed out enough, often feeling reduced to one-dimensional depictions. Peter Hook (Gaz Hayden) is a sweary, angry man whose every other line is a profanity. Steven Morris (Jack McGarry) is the quiet, shy drummer who’d rather fade into the background. Bernard Sumner (Garient Lyons) is the easy-going, humble lad who is always trying to calm down Hooky. The accents aren’t too great either, with some not even sounding Mancunian (much to my offence as one myself). 

Ian Curtis’ depiction is the only one that is more layered, exploring both his struggles with declining health and mental strain, resulting in his tragic suicide at just twenty three years old. Lonsdale provides a solid performance, capturing Curtis’ jaunty dance moves and emotional distress. However, his death is somewhat mythologised by the writing, portraying his early demise as something almost inevitable to his status as a music legend. The suicide scene too feels rushed and instead needs to give its audience more time to really feel the gravitas of his pain. 

Live music performances redeem New Dawn Fades, with the audience being treated to Lonsdale’s great renditions of classics such as ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart Again’ and ‘Shadowplay’. His jaunty body movements paired with his singing voice evoke Curtis well and help showcase a good use of music that when performed live is powerful and enjoyable. 

I can see why this show both appeals to and satisfies fans of the band, given the array of band t-shirts scattered in the audience and the many who seemed to enjoy the production. However, for those of us who attend the theatre regularly, its writing and production is lacklustre, failing to hit the mark as a piece of theatre. It could be much improved by simply limiting its narration and instead include more showing through action to create a more cohesive story. Despite an interesting premise, the production falls short on revitalisating Joy Division’s story on stage. 

Produced by Tony Davidson and Nigel Carr
Written by Brian Gorman
Directed by Brian Gorman and Lauren Greenwood
Technical management by Steve Lincoln

New Dawn Fades has completed its run at Bloomsbury Theatre as part of its UK tour. Further inforamtion on venues and dates available via the below link.