Punk Rock

Synopsis

William Carlisle. The world at his feet. Its weight on his shoulders. Intelligent. Articulate. F***ed. As the end of term approaches, a group of sixth-formers prepare themselves for the end of their school lives. But as the world begins to open up before them, they are faced with the very real danger it could swallow them whole.

Our Review:

9 September 2010

Set against the backdrop of the towering upper school library stacks, Sarah Frankcom's revisiting of Punk Rock falls almost exactly a year on from the previous staging of the production.

Simon Stephens' script beautifully crafted captures the mundanities of everyday school life, whilst lacing it with the over-brimming intellect of the grammar school pupils, just about to face their final exams. The relationship between Rupert Simonian's William and Laura Pyper's Lily bubbles with sexual tension, with the pair being shocking candid throughout their initial encounters.

The cast deliver a strong ensemble performance, with Mike Nobel's professional stage debut particularly impressive. The young company convince us that they are actually 17 year olds and not in their early twenties almost totally, but Edward Franklin's Bennet is sometimes just too calculating and too dictatorial, particularly in the moments of purest malice, to completely ...

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Latest User Review

ajh - 26 September 2009:

Shocking, compelling and utterly plausible, this is exactly what new writing should be about. Sarah Frankcom's assured production fairly leaps off the stage at you, and the young cast are magnificent. Unmissable and enthralling....

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