Musical-meets-gig-theatre, The Leftovers, puts a group of mates in a recording studio to lay down a charity single in memory of their concert-reviewing pal Jodie, who has passed away suddenly. Creative ambitions and artistic differences, romance and relationships threaten to throw the project off track, but the makeshift band keep plugging away. The resulting story, piecing together Jodie’s life and unfinished business, is laced with laughs as well as nostalgia as the musicians attempt to create something meaningful out of the horde of poems, lyrics and philosophical scribbles she left behind. The brainchild of Sheep Soup Productions (graduates of Nottingham’s BAFTA-winning Television Workshop and a breakthrough company of Leicester’s Curve Theatre), the show is full of energy and live music, from 1990s throwbacks and singer-songwriter pieces to soul and funk numbers. Be it one friend strumming snatches of melodies or the ensemble performing full songs, there’s a naturalistic style that shakes up our idea of a conventional musical and gives The Leftovers a modern and authentic feel. The result is theatre that is both hilarious as well as a deeply moving exploration of how we process grief. For more cultural events in Manchester click here.
Thu 3–Sat 5 May, The Lowry, Pier 8, The Quays, Salford, M50 3AZ, Tel: 0843 208 6000, 8pm, £10-12, www.thelowry.com
- Words:
- Sarah-Clare Conlon
- Published on:
- Sat 28 Apr 2018
