Manic Street Preachers’ Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield have written songs for a musical called ‘Before I Leave’.
The Welsh duo have teamed up for the National Theatre Wales production, which has been penned by playwright Patrick Jones, Nicky’s older brother, and is about a mixed gender choir living with the memory loss disorder dementia.
The show’s listing on National Theatre Wales reads: "A big, brand new and memorable play with music, written by Tredegar-born poet and playwright Patrick Jones.
Collective memory battles with personal struggles as a choir of men and women living with dementia clash and bond over some of south Wales’ defining stories – including the 1984 miners’ strike. Can the choir provide hope, meaning and solidarity in a society facing food banks, social welfare cuts and inequality?
"A funny, moving and ultimately uplifting production featuring covers of well-known songs by artists ranging from Tom Jones to the Sex Pistols.
"With new music by Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield of Manic Street Preachers."
‘Before I Leave’ will see its debut at Cardiff’s Sherman Theatre from May 27 and will be shown until June 11.
Meanwhile, the ‘Empty Souls’ rockers are to release a reissue of acclaimed 1996 LP ‘Everything Must Go’, which is an extra treat for their fans as they head out on their 20th anniversary dates this May.
The alternative outfit – which also includes drummer Sean Moore – are expected to play the record in full on the run of shows, which will culminate at Swansea’s Liberty Stadium on May 28.
Talking about making the impact of the album, frontman Bradfield previously admitted it was a fantastic time but also "bittersweet" because guitarist Richey Edwards had gone missing in February 1995 never to be found.
He said: "The memories of the album are of this strange sensation of being a popular cult band, to suddenly going overground and having 20,000 people singing songs back to me for the very first time. It was a shock. A completely new experience. It was a bittersweet experience, of course, because there was the three of us, instead of four but it was affirmation that we could still rely on each other to be a different version of the Manics."
Manic Street Preachers 20th anniversary shows:
May 13, Liverpool, Echo Arena
May 14, Birmingham, Genting Arena
May 16 & May 17, London, Royal Albert Hall
May 20, Leeds, First Direct Arena
May 21, Glasgow, The SSE Hydro
May 28, Swansea, Liberty Stadium
Nicky Wire and James Dean Bradfield write songs for Welsh musical
