Set in 1980s Leeds, Reception: A New Musical follows a group of university friends whose lives remain entangled over five turbulent years through a mixture of weddings, funerals, graduations, and the receptions that follow, all set to a soundtrack from Leeds indie band The Wedding Present.
Formed at Leeds University 40 years ago, The Wedding Present led by David Gedge went on to have 18 UK Top 40 singles earning a cult following with their raw and honest songs about love, loss, and longing – aspects which all fit easily into this gripping, enthralling and captivating story written and directed by Matt Aston.
Reception: A New Musical
The story of old friends meeting up after years apart and how their lives have developed is not a new one – the Take That musical, Greatest Days, followed the same path successfully. What Reception does is to make the storyline more gripping and rawer – much like the subject matter of Gedge’s songs.
Anyone familiar with his work might wonder how his often shambolic and indie guitar led tracks would work in a stage musical. Thankfully, the songs have been sympathetically placed into the storyline of Reception and never sound misplaced; their biting wit and energy translate well. Fans of the group will notice that the names of the characters all come from Wedding Present songs.
Introducing the cast of Reception
Rachel (Zoe Allan) has big plans with her boyfriend Harry (Lawrence Hodgson-Mullings) who has dreams of adventure before settling down. He drops a big bombshell on their graduation day as he announces that he is leaving Leeds to discover his future in Seattle, much to the upset of Rachel and their friends. Cue the introduction of the song Brassneck which, like most of the other familiar songs from the Leeds indie band, seem appropriately placed in the show.
Harry’s best friend John (Richard Lounds) is a character to keep your eyes on – as the storyline develops, he becomes more prominent and eventually becomes one of the main players in this highly addictive musical. Sally (Amara Latchford) is Rachael’s best friend and John’s on and off girlfriend, and there is also Estrella (Rebecca Levy) whose fixation with her video camera becomes apparent in the closing end of the show.
Jane (Hannah Nuttall) is the quiet one of the group, a Doris Day obsessive, she forms a friendship with Joe (Zach Burns) Rachel’s younger brother – over their shared love of Day. With guidance coming from Dad (Matthew Bugg) they bring humour and a real edge to the stage. The local barman, Keir (Jack Hardy) hosts all the receptions – though with a comic touch, no one can ever get his name right calling him Keith or Kevin.
A stag do in Brighton, funeral and wedding follow over the subsequent years in a show that seems like a love letter to the band, all brought together by a multi-talented cast, many of whom also play in the on-stage band besides acting on the minimal stage set.
Unconventional ending
The conclusion is perhaps not the ending you might expect, and like The Wedding Present who never did an encore when they performed, the unconventional end fits in well with the ethos of the band and Gedge in particular.
As Jack Hardy gives a rousing and faithful rendition of one of The Wedding Present’s biggest songs – Kennedy – to close the show. The lyrics mention having another slice of apple pie, which resonated because in this riveting storyline all is not as sweet as it seems. Though for any fans of the group and those on the sidelines, Reception: A New Musical is a real gift.
Reception: A New Musical, The Warehouse (Slung Low), Holbeck, Leeds, runs until Saturday 6 September with tickets available via the Leeds Playhouse website.
