Dave, what inspired you to write a sequel to “Lost Soul” after initially shying away from the idea, and what new elements can audiences expect in “Lost Soul 2: Smigger’s Wrecked Head”
I’d had the original idea many years ago and thought, how do you top that? Then in around 2018 I started to bump into a lot of people I hadn’t seen since the 70s. A few lads and a woman I’d met. And I was thinking about them and the people I’d met and started thinking about doing something about the 70s again. I started to write a few ideas down and then thought why not revisit those characters from Lost Soul. Last time it was Terry who had hit this middle aged wall. This time it’s Smigger. He can’t get his head out of the 70s.
It was bizarre, really, I hadn’t seen these people for 40 years and that’s what went into this show.
The 70s were important, and it’s decades away from what’s going on in the world at the moment. There was no social media, and there was freedom about that. There was high unemployment in Liverpool – which is why we moved to Torquay for a bit – but it was a lovely decade. The music was fantastic. Disco started in the mid 70s but you had a lot of different genres, like Motown and Soul. It’s nearly 50 years ago but it still has an impact. In the 70s, we never would have listened to music from half a century before, but kids now listen to all of the music from the 70s. It’s timeless.
It was a really wonderful decade to be a young person. Creatively it was a great decade. There was the Everyman Theatre and the Playhouse with writers like Willy Russell and Alan Bleasdale coming through. I met Drew in school and I went to work in the building trade, but I’d see him in the Everyman. We always stayed in touch.
Can you tell us more about the character of Smigger and his mid-life crisis journey in the new show? How does his story resonate with the themes of nostalgia and the passage of time?
So Smigger, his daughter comes home with a baby and he’s a grandfather. He’s thinking about his youth all the time, feeling empty and growing older and he can’t accept it. Smigger is this happy-go-lucky, gregarious character locked in the 70s and he can’t get out of it.
There’s a line where he says he can see the finishing post in the distance and realises most of his life is behind him. Mentally, he’s not in a good place, so he packs his bags.
“Lost Soul 2” features a soundtrack filled with 70s soul music. How does this musical element contribute to the overall atmosphere and narrative of the play?
I love all that music, and the songs resonate with the story. I spent weeks and weeks getting that right, choosing the right song for each moment in the show, making it resonate with the action. It’s A nice part of the writing process. I used to plaster ceilings, so it’s been some journey, this, now I’m lying on the sofa looking up at the ceiling listening to music.
With a strong ensemble cast including Paul Duckworth, Lindzi Germain, and Andrew Schofield, how do the actors bring your characters and story to life on stage?
Lindzi I’ve known Lindzi for many years. We just hit it off. It was said when we lost Jake Abraham, who played Terry, last year. And I miss him, dearly. We needed someone on that same level who could take that character and it feels fated to have Paul Duckworth. He was a close mate of Jake’s and has been able to take that role. They bring it to life because they’re able to make those characters believable and convincing. We’ve got two new fantastic actors, Michael Hawkins, Jennifer Hynes, who have just come on so much.
Reflecting on your career and the impact of your previous hit shows at Liverpool’s Royal Court, how does it feel to return with this new production, and what do you hope audiences will take away from it?
Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels was nearly 20 years ago. This is the 17th time I’ve brought a show to the Royal Court and it’s special. It brings joy to others, and that’s what it means to me.
I was in the building trade and one of the things I learnt from that was the importance of escapism. This is what the Royal Court does, it’s about escaping, forgetting and having a great night out.
I think people will resonate with Smigger’s character and his story. I do try to bring out aspects so people will see themselves on stage. I had that in Council Depot Blues, where one character was retiring. You want people to recognise themselves in the characters. It’s not just entertainment, they feel it, you pull them down a bit, but not too far!