"I believe it has the potential to be something very special". Steven Wilson's Hand. Cannot. Erase. to be adapted for theatre stage

Steven Wilson's fourth solo studio album, Hand. Cannot. Erase. which celebrates it's tenth anniversary this year, is being adapted for stage.

At its core, the album used the tragic story of Joyce Carol Vincent, a young, seemingly upwardly mobile young woman who was found dead in her North London apartment, having. sat there, with the television on, for almost three years.

Developed with Wilson’s full endorsement, the new stage adaptation from writer and director Oliver Britten, reimagines this story through live music, dance, striking visuals, and intimate theatricality, promising one of the most ambitious new works to emerge on the UK theatre scene.

“Oliver Britten contacted me in 2024 about creating a stage version of my 2015 album Hand. Cannot. Erase., a project which I was happy to give my blessing to, as I believe it has the potential to be something very special, and I have been impressed with the draft versions of the script he has shared with me," Wilson explains. "Though not directly involved, I am following the development with great interest, and he has my full support."

"I’ve been listening to Steven Wilson’s music since I first discovered his band, Porcupine Tree, when I was 15,” adds Britten. “Bringing his work to the stage and infusing it with my own creative voice is an incredible opportunity. Hand. Cannot. Erase. has been one of my favourite albums since its release. Those themes of isolation and our tenuous grip on human connection tap into a universal detachment many suffer from today. The idea of adapting this into a stage musical still feels surreal, and I am immensely proud to have delved into the heart of the album to form a new take on the story within its songs.”

Casting is currently underway, with newcomer Holly Tarkon making her stage debut, and the show will be enhanced with Jess Cope's well-known animations that supported the album in Wilson's own stage shows.

The show is being produced by AFAFO Media, a collective of artists dedicated to telling bold new stories anywhere, anytime, in any medium.

"Steven has inspired a brilliant creative team that elevates the music into a transformative theatrical experience. Their dedication and artistry are exceptional, and I’m honoured to be building this project alongside them,” says producer Alexander Garcia.

Writer and broadcaster Jerry Ewing is the Editor of Prog Magazine which he founded for Future Publishing in 2009. He grew up in Sydney and began his writing career in London for Metal Forces magazine in 1989. He has since written for Metal Hammer, Maxim, Vox, Stuff and Bizarre magazines, among others. He created and edited Classic Rock Magazine for Dennis Publishing in 1998 and is the author of a variety of books on both music and sport, including Wonderous Stories; A Journey Through The Landscape Of Progressive Rock.

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