The University of Winchester is proud to present Rewind, an exciting and original theatre show written, directed, and performed by students and staff from the Creative Writing and Acting programmes.
The show on Thursday, 19 March at 7.30pm at The Railway Inn, Winchester is a two-part event – Side A and Side B, if you will – born from a love of music and a passion for storytelling.
The Rewind concept was developed by Senior Lecturer in Creative Writing, Glenn Fosbraey, and like most good ideas, began with a conversation, in this case, a chat in The Learning Café at the University.
After speaking with Peter Brown, who runs Winnall Rock School, Glenn heard about a theatre show where performers had acted out song lyrics. He took that idea, reshaped it, and put out a call for writers across the university’s Creative Writing and Acting programmes.
The first half, Harri’s Mix Tape, is a collection of short plays, each inspired by a different song. Rather than acting out lyrics, the writers have taken their chosen tracks as a creative springboard, using mood and theme to craft original pieces of drama that stand on their own but are linked by the mix tape theme.
Creative Writing student and writer, Tom Maquez crafted a short opening play to set the scene. One character, Pepe, hands another, Harri, a mixtape. That simple exchange becomes the frame for everything that follows. The idea is that the tape contains all the songs that the play draws from, and as Harri listens to it, each story unfolds before her. It’s a warm-hearted device that gives the evening its title and its emotional anchor.
The second half of the evening is more ambitious with its range. Climbing to the Moon, is written by Glenn Fosbraey and directed by Associate Lecturer Dan Ash. It tells the story of two siblings and is inspired by the Eels’ album Electro-Shock Blues.
Mark is a singer-songwriter who has just broken through with his band’s debut album but his sister Liz’s struggles with mental health have led to her being admitted to a psychiatric hospital.
When Liz dies, Mark channels his grief into his second album Electro-Shock Blues and uses it to tell her story. With the play, the album’s lyrics weave together in a series of flashbacks, outlining the complex relationship between brother and sister with honesty.
Tickets for Rewind are available now at https://railwayinn.pub/shows/short-plays-inspired-by-songs-2026-03-19
Pictured top: A scene from one of the short student plays which make up Harri's Mix Tape.
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