Hot on the tail of Chris Bush’s acclaimed ‘Standing at the Skye’s Edge’ and the excellent ‘Living’ by Leo Butler comes Joe Carnall’s ‘How Could I forget?,’ to complete a golden hat trick of family led stories from the Steel City. Sheffield musician Joe is a familiar sight on a different kind of stage as a member of local bands Millburn and Reverend and the Makers. His first venture into playwriting is based on his own experiences of seeing his Glaswegian grandfather battle with Alzheimer’s disease over a decade ago.
Whereas ‘Skye’s Edge’ and ‘Living’ paint a broader landscape with a state of the nation narrative, ‘How Could I Forget’ shines a spotlight on a heartfelt and compelling tale of the relationship between a Grandson and his Grandparents. Set in Sheffield, the story centres around Billy, a young man trying to find his path through life at the same time his grandad, his dominant role model and larger than life character descends into dementia. The production has a distinctly northern feel and captures the dry self-deprecating humour associated with the region, but the subject matter is universal and will resonate anywhere.
It is clear from the intimate script that the story is based on lived experience and highlights the impact the disease has on the family members. But it is a play with lighter moments as the nonlinear story time jumps into various stages of their lives. The story meanders in a delicately heartfelt, entertaining, and often hilarious fashion. Much of the connection between the Grandad and Grandson centres around a piano and their shared love of music.
The cast consists of five actors, two of which form an ensemble cast, although as the play progresses the ensemble characters grow in stature. The acting, singing and choreography of all the cast was faultless, a superb all-round performance. It was excellent casting with the on-stage relationships working as the audience grew emotionally involved with the likeable and relatable characters.
The Playhouse has a cosy layout, with the basic and seamlessly re-arranged stage setting and costumes immersing the audience into the procedures. The musical arrangements and choreography were excellent in content and execution.
The pacing of the play worked well. The emotional and humorous scenes were perfectly balanced with the musical scores. By the time the play headed towards its natural conclusion, I was enveloped in the characters’ lives and relationships. I was expecting an emotional ending and I was not disappointed. In fact, I cannot recall a more emotional audience reaction to the ending of a play I have attended.
Joe Carnall Jnr was in attendance and gave a humorous and emotion speech to a stirring round of applause. Although personal to him it is a subject relevant to us all and was tackled in such a way as to give hope and acceptance whilst reflecting upon the good times and the legacies built upon such foundations. I would highly recommend this production.
Production run (The Playhouse, Sheffield): Friday 9th October – Saturday 10th October 2026.
Running Time: around 2 hours 20 Minutes, including an interval.
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/events/how-could-i-forget/dates
Reviewer: Matthew Burgin
On: 9th October 2026
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