PUNK ROCK To 31 October.
London/Manchester.
PUNK ROCK
by Simon Stephens.
Lyric Hammersmith To 26 September.
Mon-Sat 7.30pm Mat 23 Sept 1.30pm, 26 Sept 2.30pm.
Audio-described 26 Sept 2.30pm.
Captioned 22 Sept.
Post-show Discussion 15, 24 Sept.
then Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester 7-31 October 2009.
Mon-Fri 7.30pm Sat 8pm Mat Wed 2.30pm & Sat 4pm.
Audio-described 24 Oct 4pm.
BSL Signed 30 Oct.
Post-show Discussion 28 Oct 7.30pm.
Runs 1hr 50min No interval.
TICKETS: 0871 221 1726.
www.lyric.co.uk (Hammersmith).
0161 833 9833.
www.royalexchange.co.uk (Manchester).
Review: Timothy Ramsden 9 September.
Lord of the Flies in a school library.
If Elvis then the Beatles gave the west ‘youth’, seventies Punk was youth’s loudest roar. Yet behind the Rotten, Vicious howls lay the lead figures’ vulnerability and splits. As with the gilded youth of Stockport, gathered in what seems a social centre for the post-16s, but is actually their private school’s library. These are the privileged and privately paid-for – though the high stacks of books, more ancient than modern, in Paul Wills’ design at the Lyric seems more John Rylands than even the classiest Stockport school.
It may look less assertive at Manchester’s Royal Exchange, where director Sarah Frankcom’s part of the artistic team. And some of her positioning of characters seems a temporary replacement for the Exchange’s in-the-round format. But she gives Simon Stephens’ new play a magnificent premiere, its cast packed with newcomers who play with confidence, projection and subtlety.
Cracks appear in the confidence of the seemingly-confident. The bully crumbles when people don’t accept his power. The constant victim, fortified by his scientific speculation about the universe (aka the geek) turns out the one who acts to protect himself. The most considerate character, apparently eclipsed by the egos around, is a survivor when things turn violent, while the apparently mature one is ineffective.
It takes only a younger sister to remind the big bully their mother expects them for him to collapse; his girlfriend, who stands by his cruelty to others, loses her cool when her exam results don’t match parental expectations.
Simons skilfully reveals the hesitancies and embarrassments over sex among a group who are as marooned, or cocooned, in their library meetings as the island survivors of William Golding’s famous novel. So strong is this group portrait it’s almost a pity when the action focuses on one of their number and a collapse into violence. Not random, or general, but focused on those he especially resents.
This leads to a final, quiet scene involving the only older character. It’s effective enough, but almost a different play, and one less interesting than what’s gone before. Though that’s much more than enough to make Punk Rock riveting.
William Carlisle: Tom Sturridge.
Lily Cahill: Jessica Raine.
Bennett Francis: Henry Lloyd-Hughes.
Cissy Franks: Sophie Wu.
Tanya Gleason: Katie Wesy.
Nicholas Chatman: Nicholas Banks.
Chadwick Meade: Harry McEntire.
Lucy Francis: Ghazaleh Golpira.
Dr Richard Harvey: Simon Wolfe.
Director: Sarah Frankcom.
Designer: Paul Wills.
Lighting: Philip Gladwell.
Sound: Pete Rice.
Voice/Dialect coach: Jan Haydn Rowles.
Movement/Fight director: Mike Ashcroft.
Assistant director: Clive Judd.
2009-09-15 05:16:15