lovemaking to an inappropriate soundtrack
Run Date: 15/07/26 - 17/07/26.
Venue: 53two.
Description:
Winner of the Audience Choice Award at the Greater Manchester Fringe 2026!
'lovemaking to an inappropriate soundtrack', was a production that was a smorgasbord of love, dating, sex, friendship, queerness and all that other good stuff.
Two girls discuss the mega period. A £1.99 jacket potato. Tram stop goodbyes. A friendship abruptly stilted. Pink vomit. The cow that got the cream.
This wasn't your typical boy meets girl narrative; it was a deeper, more nuanced portrayal of love with all its complexities and contradictions.
Reviews
"Bushell has produced a beautifully crafted play [...] The dialogue is sharp and well observed, delivered naturally by the cast, but they’re equally comfortable with the long and poignant pauses that punctuate the script. It’s a skilled writer and cast – and an enrapt audience – that can sit so comfortably with silences like these."
★★★★★
"lovemaking to an inappropriate soundtrack" is a treat: a play which does not minimise the complexities of love and friendship but maintains a positive outlook and so is emotionally satisfying as well as very funny.
"Lovemaking to an inappropriate soundtrack is a hilarious smorgasbord of joy. It’s like all of your group chats came to life at once. It’s a real life love story dedicated to the young people of Manchester. Trying to navigate their way through life, love, friendships and queerness.
Shows like this pave the way for more creative queer people in the industry. All in all, it was an incredible show."
About the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival
The Greater Manchester Fringe first took place in 2012 with 6 different venues and a handful of shows in each. Since then then Greater Manchester Fringe has grown each year with more performances, more ticket sales and more venues taking part.
2026 was the 15th year the festival had taken place across Greater Manchester.
The festival is a multi-venue open access arts festival providing support for all art forms to show their work, creating an arts community, encouraging first time participation in arts production and performances across Greater Manchester.
More information about the festival can be found here.
Awards and Nominations from the Greater Manchester Fringe Festival
People Involved
Cast:
Renée C. Williams
Christie Reynolds
Katy Smith
Maddie Maycock
Liam Wheeler
Lewis Eades
Creative Team Members:
Writer - Jenny Bushell
Director - Lauren Ellis-Stretch
Producer - Adam Cachia
Stage Manager - Ellen Kaye
Technical Operator - Adam Steed
Creative Captioning - Emily Bold
Assistant Director - Lucie Thompson