As a long-term Joy Division fan, I awaited in trepidation in respect of seeing New Dawn Fades in the West End. The production has been doing the rounds for some time in the provinces with the occasional West End window, with the Bloomsbury Theatre supporting the show and almost becoming its spiritual home in London. With the Bloomsbury Theatre‘s credits including Eddie Izzard, Joe Brand, Channel 4 Comedy, The National Theatre, and Hull Truck, its left-field stance on the arts has proven to be perfect for New Dawn Fades. The lights went up to a packed audience, and it didn’t take me long to ascertain that, as opposed to the production taking the obvious trip through the dark corridors that often accompany the Joy Division story, it drew inspiration from the lighter side of the antics surrounding the group, its label boss Tony Wilson, and maverick producer Martin Hannett.

Yes, of course, it tackled the growing pains of Ian Curtis and his relationship with members of the group and his wife Debbie, who suffered at the hands of her husband’s turbulent life and indeed, at times, became the archetypal rock ‘n’ roll widow. Ian Curtis was played by the versatile Josh Lonsdale, and indeed he put out a sensitive performance, encompassing the troubled artist’s physical and mental ailments with a lightness of touch and almost a method technique, embracing a heightened reality. He was well paired off by versatile actress Lauren Greenwood, whose ability to portray pathos was key to the chemistry between the two excellent performers.

Legendary bass player Peter Hook was played to perfection by Gaz Hayden. All his nuances were there, embracing a gritty realism. A lot of comedy was brought out when he interacted with the bandmates, producer, and manager. It would be unfair to say that the performance was derived from mimicry; it was more the fact that he channelled the legendary bass player to great effect, it must be said. Nicholas Eccles, who played Martin Hannett, was absolutely spot-on with all the legendary references played out perfectly, much to the joy of the rammed BloomsburyTheatre. These touches really helped to ring the changes and bring a lot of the Manchester humour to the London crowd. Martin Hannett‘s malapropisms, mutterings, and maniacal outbursts of a mythical nature were also spot on.

Bernard Sumner was beautifully played by Garient Lyons, as was Jack McGarry, who played drummer Stephen Morris. It is clear that a lot of character study went into the directorial side of this exciting body of work. Kivan Dene, who played Rob Gretton, the mercurial manager of the noted Post-Punk group, really brought a heightened energy to the show and provided further comedic touches without veering away from the sad and tragic undercurrent surrounding Ian Curtis.A spark of surprise was provided when the group actually played at least four tracks from the outstanding catalogue. Josh Lonsdale‘s performances were uncanny in respect of putting the Ian Curtis character across musically. The rest of the band were also spot-on and just for a moment there I felt I was being transported through the annals of rock and roll time.

It’s certainly the closest I’ll ever get to seeing Joy Division, which is why I could not recommend this musical play more highly. Even the sad demise of Curtis was brushed upon in a sensitive way, although I did see a few people wiping tears from their eyes as the sad incident was hauntingly realised. Call it what you will, New Dawn Fades is a phenomenon. The manuscript was beautifully crafted by Brian Gorman, who, incidentally, played Tony Wilson, the mercurial Factory Records boss. He had always provided hilarity whilst he was alive, and every word that came from the corner of Gorman’s mouth was nothing less than comedy gold. Bringing in hot-shot producer Nigel Carr has proven to be something of a great move, as he has managed to bind all the elements together beautifully.

Nigel Carr has made everything slick, from the merchandise and programs to the Museum of Joy Division in the studio theatre, to the actual spellbinding performance, which did not rely on props (for there were none), just a virtual set on screens scattered around the Bloomsbury Theatre. Although there was much humour in this tragicomedy, it would be remiss of me not to say that the scene where Ian Curtis takes his own life was handled with sensitivity. All in all, it must be said that although there was much humour in this tragicomedy, it may be good to bear in mind that there is nothing light about light entertainment… enough said

New Dawn Fades: A Play About Joy Division & Manchester will be heading to Salford’s Lowry Theatre in March 2026 and you can book tickets here

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