Maximo Park star’s show is to open its tour at Arts Centre Washington in May

The show, called Hold On Let Go, was first performed at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe and will be staged in Washington on Thursday, May 5 at 7.30pm.

The show invites audiences to “discover a new kind of memory champion, one that admits how much they’ve forgotten. One that bakes bread, dances on tables and might possibly get sucked into a black hole”.

The show starts in a kitchen and travels to the farthest reaches of the universe, exploring how memories work for both individuals and society. From there it asks whether we might behave differently if we were conscious of how little we hold in our memories.

The show is from theatre company Unfolding Theatre, with choreography by Liv Lorent and script by Selina Thompson.

Hold On Let Go is Paul Smith’s first theatre collaboration, but something he has though about for a long time.

He said: “Music and memory is something I’ve been thinking about for a long time. We called the first Maxïmo Park album A Certain Trigger because of how music can be an emotional trigger, taking you to places and memories.

“In Hold On Let Go, we’re playing with how a radio broadcast of songs and words, played within the show, can build an emotional connection with audiences.”

Unfolding Theatre director, Annie Rigby said: “It’s a lovely show to be touring as audiences return to theatres, many for the first time since before the pandemic. It has a very welcoming and relaxed atmosphere and serves its audience freshly baked bread.

“It’s brilliant to be touring the show in 2022, when it feels more relevant than ever. It’s a real celebration of live performance, with plenty of laughter, good stories and great music.

“We can’t wait to welcome audiences at Arts Centre Washington.”

Matt Blyth, audience development officer at Arts Centre Washington, said: “Unfolding Theatre have a history of producing fun and innovative theatre and for them to be teaming up with a leading light of the North East music scene is a really exciting prospect.”

Tickets are £9, £7.50 or £5 and on sale at www.artscentrewashington.co.uk, or call 0191 561 3455.