Syd Barrett: The Summer of Love

Syd Barrett: The Summer of Love is based on Syd Barrett’s life before, during and after his time in one of the world’s biggest rock bands, Pink Floyd. The story is narrated by playwright David Gale, a childhood friend of Syd’s and flat-mate when they both moved from Cambridge to London in the mid-1960s. Music includes interpretations from Barrett’s solo career and selected early Pink Floyd songs. 2020 is also a jubilee year as it is now 50 years since both of Barrett’s solo albums were released (1970).

The show has been performed twice previously, both times in 2016. First in Sandviken, then in Barrett’s hometown of Cambridge in the UK – at the 1200-seater Corn Exchange, the scene of Barrett’s last concert appearance ever, in 1972. Barrett was honoured in 2016 by the town of Cambridge, ten years after his death in 2006.

Men On The Border debuted in 2012 with an entire album of Barrett songs (Shine!) which garnered attention outside Sweden, particularly in the UK, Italy and the USA, but even as far away as New Zealand. Many of the songs on “Shine!” were originally simple Barrett sketches which had never been fully realized until “Shine!” was made. There they were expanded, completed and brought up to date. At the end of 2015, a project was proposed to and accepted by Sandviken’s Symphony Orchestra, and symphonic arrangements of the Men On The Border interpretations were made by professional arrangers Tomas Agnas and Bertil Fält.

Peter Wynne Willson is an internationally renowned lighting designer and inventor. He worked with Pink Floyd between 1966 and 1968 when he created light shows for their performances at UFO and the Roundhouse in London. In the intervening years he again toured with Pink Floyd for “The Division Bell” tour and has also worked with U2, Roger Waters and many others.