Steven Wilson has announced that his 2015 record, Hand. Cannot. Erase. is set to receive a stage adaptation: “I believe it has the potential to be something very special”.
Just days after completing his Australian tour, Steven Wilson has revealed that his celebrated fourth solo album Hand. Cannot. Erase. is set to receive a stage adaptation.
The story of the album was inspired by the case of Joyce Carol Vincent, who passed away in her apartment one day and wasn’t discovered for almost three years. What made the case unique was that Vincent had friends and family, yet no one had thought to check in with her during that time.
Developed with Wilson’s support, the new stage adaptation comes from writer and director Oliver Britten, who has reimagined the story through live music, dance, striking visuals, and intimate theatricality.
The pair would go on to clarify their collaboration and interest in a project via Louder Sound:
“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 explained. “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,” explained Britten.
“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.”
If you’re unfamiliar with the story’s narrative, it is essential to note that it’s inspired only by the case of Joyce Carol Vincent. In the lead-up to the release of the album, Steven Wilson’s website would make that distinction clear, sharing posts detailing the life and thoughts of Hand Cannot Erase‘s main character before her disappearance.
While the original website with supplementary images and blog posts written from the perspective of the main character is now gone, you can still check out the posts on the ol’ internet archives.
Hand Cannot Erase main band would include Steven Wilson, bass player Nick Beggs, Adam Holzman on piano, drummer Marco Minnemann and guitarist Guthrie Govan. This would be the final Steven Wilson album that Minnemann and Govan would contribute to.
Steven Wilson just concluded the Australian leg of his The Overview tour last week. The British prog legend would play tracks ‘Home Invasion/Regret #9’ and ‘Ancestral’ from Hand. Cannot. Erase. during the show.
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