Punk Rock – Altrincham Garrick Playhouse

The highly successful Altrincham Garrick Studio season of productions centred around a Manchester theme concludes this week with a timely revival of Simon Stephens’ 2009 classroom drama Punk Rock. Under the direction of Meg Brassington, it demonstrates that the teenage concerns of more than a decade ago are, if anything, even more pertinent and relevant today.

We meet our seven protagonists at a sixth-form college in Stockport. The action takes place during the autumn term of 2009 as they negotiate the pressures of forthcoming mock A-level examinations. However, any similarity to The History Boys and the cosy world of Alan Bennett nostalgia is quickly dispelled by the very different tone Stephens employs in his portrayal of tortured adolescence and teenage angst.

In the hands of a lesser writer, the travails of young adults at an expensive fee-paying school in leafy South Manchester could quickly become wearisome. Stephens, however, has an ear for dialogue and an eye for plot development that scream authenticity, allowing the two-hour running time to grip the packed Studio audience throughout.

The characterisation is multifaceted and complex. As a father who is thankfully long past the years of teenage dramas and crises, I can attest to the veracity of the young people presented to us. By turns lovable and irritating, naïve and astute, attractive and repellent, they are as real and contradictory as only teenagers can be. These contradictions are manna from heaven for a talented director and skilful cast, providing endless opportunities to create believable, fully rounded characters.

And what a cast we have.

The Garrick has spent the past decade assiduously developing a cohort of outstanding young performers, regularly producing work that eclipses many professional productions. Punk Rock is no exception. Particularly heartening is the number of new faces given the opportunity to shine alongside the theatre’s talented core company.

Ellie Mae Smyth and Lucas Moore are assured in their Garrick debuts. Smyth subtly hints at the body dysmorphia affecting “Fat Tanya”, while Moore takes Chadwick from a shy, peripheral presence to the deliverer of an extraordinary speech on the apocalyptic future he believes awaits his generation.

Mason Gee is excellent as the ostensibly golden-boy Nicholas. He displays outward confidence and sexual bravado among his peers, only to reveal inexperience and vulnerability when beginning a relationship with new girl Lilly, played by Portia Dodds. Dodds is something of a revelation, bringing real confidence and maturity to the role. She demonstrates that one of the most underrated skills in acting is reaction; during the longer monologues of other characters she remains fully present, becoming the still centre around which the more garrulous personalities orbit.

Cissy, played by Faye Alexandra, and Bennett form the school’s alpha couple. Cissy projects confidence in both her academic ability and sexuality, only to descend into near meltdown when she perceives herself as failing after receiving a mere B grade in her mock examinations. Alexandra navigates this difficult balance skilfully, while Aidan Burgess radiates menace and physical dominance whenever Bennett enters the stage.

Burgess’ performance is particularly effective because the audience initially sees only Bennett’s charm and humour. Gradually, the darker aspects emerge through his treatment of Chadwick, before the character’s bravado finally collapses into a moving and painfully realistic display of vulnerability. It is a nuanced and intelligent portrayal.

Centre stage, however, belongs to William. Kieran Rea delivers an extraordinary Garrick debut, bringing this complex and neurodiverse character thrillingly to life. William is a force of nature, capable of wild mood swings and abrupt shifts in personality. He is prone to exaggeration and elaborate lies about his family background, while simultaneously displaying gushing romanticism and seemingly boundless self-confidence that masks profound insecurities. Watching him feels like witnessing a train hurtling towards an inevitable disaster. The tragic conclusion of the drama may not come as a surprise, but it remains both shocking and beautifully rendered. Rea’s performance is remarkable and will live long in the memory.

Brassington makes a series of excellent directorial decisions in a play that restricts options through the constraints of a single set and seven adolescent characters. The scale is purposefully intimate, forcing the audience to observe the micro-behaviours and shifting dynamics that ebb and flow between the students. The claustrophobia of the library setting becomes almost tangible, trapping both characters and audience in an atmosphere of mounting pressure.

Only at the conclusion, during William’s psychiatric assessment with Dr Kelly, is there any real sense of release. Helen Horridge, in a stern but effective cameo, provides a welcome contrast to the emotional chaos that precedes it. By this point, the mood of oppression and crushing expectation placed upon these young adults feels entirely realistic and painfully true.

Even the musical choices are apposite and eclectic, complementing the production’s mood without ever overwhelming it. I must confess, however, to a slight disappointment that a certain Boomtown Rats song failed to make an appearance, given the story’s conclusion.

Last week I saw a social media post from Simon Stephens himself addressed to the cast, urging them to “have fun and kick the shit out of it” when performing his play. Judging by the quality of the performances on display, they certainly took that advice to heart.

With excellent work across the entire cast, confident direction from Meg Brassington, and a script that remains relevant, funny and ultimately shocking, this production of Punk Rock is a genuine gem. It provides a fittingly powerful conclusion to an outstanding Studio season and confirms once again that the Garrick’s investment in young talent continues to pay remarkable dividends.

Reviewer: Paul Wilcox

Reviewed: 9th June 2026

North West End UK Rating: