"We have to get through to people that we have to help each other" - Brighton show

It will be at Brighton Dome Studio Theatre from Thursday-Saturday, March 20-22 as two headliners crossfade between stories of love, sex and the power of music – set against a backdrop of precarious lives in urban London. Featuring original tracks inspired by early noughties and present-day R&B and garage, Bangers follows the highs and lows of two strangers struggling with their own pasts while hurtling towards the future

Kaine Lawrence plays Clef in the show which comes described as a lyrical love letter to UK garage: “It's an amalgamation of different themes really. You've got the theme of grief and you've got the theme of forbidden love and you've got the theme of neglect but it also takes a trip down memory lane with all the music, the music of the late 90s and early noughties.

“Clef, who is played by me, is trying to navigate his way through life. He has lost a family member to bereavement, and that’s the thing. He's trying to brush it off and trying to be a man and trying to stay strong and that has knock-on effects. The collateral effects of that are far greater than he thinks they could be.

“And there is another character called Aria who is another person going through grief but a different type of grief. She is coming from a place of neglect. It is about the way they look at these things and who they lean on for help and what they expect from these people. Towards the end is where their thoughts collide and they get to understand each other and speak to each other.

“The fact is that we need to talk about these things. We want people to come away from the theatre thinking I need to tell this person I love them or if there is something that they're pushing to the back of their minds, they need to challenge it. We have to get through to people that we have to help each other.

“And in the show it is the music that is the light. The music is the driving force. It keeps the story moving forward and it keeps up the emotions. The music is how you release what is happening whether it's a happy moment or a sad moment. It is just the release of letting everything go. You sing when words are no longer enough. That's a quote in the show and it's the way that we release all this anger and pain and love and energy.

“And the way it happens is through garage which is old school. The rave scene has progressed but it's very much music that people can relate to. After the show we have people saying ‘I forgot about this music, this catalogue of music and I'm so happy that you brought it back to my attention.’”

The show opened at the Bristol Old Vic: “The audience loved it and they were very receptive. Bristol was a very good crowd to start with and we are touring until April 11. I have never been to Brighton before. I'm really excited to go there.”