A creative response to the debut performance of Glee & Me, a Royal Exchange Theatre production held in honour of their 45th birthday

— plus, you’re invited to a special performance

Stabilize me while I’m no longer stable trying to blossom like a flower with no leaves, I’m left broken, if the sky were to come all the way down to greet me it’s darkness won’t take me whole, I screamed to the clouds “help me” “save me” but your voice has no sound. And now I start to become a corpse with a heart that no longer beats and tears that are no longer wet. I creep into the shadows hoping the abyss takes me away and I no longer have to look past the inevitable but all it does is make me see that it is truly Unescapable what do we do as beings … human beings do we hold on to hope or the illusion of hope that shoots between my ribcage causing it to crack open leaving me unprotected to the mere disappointment of that hope.

“Is that why you are here?” I ask death as it greets me on the footsteps of my soul. “Are you taking me for forsaking the future you had planned while you make me no longer known?”

Death had no words. Its task is to take, and it never gives this was the end of me I said as the doors of heaven seemed to get closer while I walked backwards hoping it would wait for me. But death has no patience after it is told it is time and I said the words that are told to those who lack hope…

then it hit me all at once then slowly and everything I knew and I everything that I was going to know becomes a distant memory and the reality of life comes crawling in like a spider that has just found home.

Oh, it’s you again, I hear you loud and clear.

For tickets to GLEE & ME, visit the Royal Exchange Theatre.

you’re invited

The Royal Exchange Theatre has been a VAGUE Ally and longstanding supporter of the community so we’re pleased to offer a chance for you and a friend to win complimentary tickets to an exclusive performance of THE MOUNTAINTOP next week: a brand-new production of the award-winning play by Katori Hall, directed once more by the theatre’s Joint-Artistic Director, Roy Alexander Weise. See you there?

FYI: VAGUE Allyships have no bearing or influence on TOMES’ editorial independence. Find out more about what we do.

credits

crew

words — mnna mohammed

design — karina so

plugs

photography — ella sommeil