“Congratulations on a really good event last night. The performances were stunning and the event had a great energy about. I’m sure it bodes well for another really excellent festival this year. The Festival is a wonderful thing for Kingston and we want to support it where ever possible.”
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by Gemma Anderson
A play about a bunch of sixth form students hanging out in a library? On the surface, it hardly sounds riveting but the unexpected events that occur in Simon Stephens’ Punk Rock turn it into a play about teenage angst, violence and psychosis. Performed by the Chipstead Players at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, Punk Rock begins as a light-hearted comedy about the trials and tribulations of teenage life. However, as the play climaxes it evolves into a tragic story about a boy called William who changes from a weirdly endearing geek into a violent and destructive youth.
The Chipstead Players interpretation of this witty yet gritty play is superb, with a first class quality of performance all round. Robbie Capaldi gave an absolutely outstanding performance as William, perfectly portraying him as a deranged yet innocent young man, despite the awful crime that he commits. From the performances that I have seen so far during IYAF, I have to say that Robbie Capaldi has really stood out as an exceptional talent and one that I am sure we will all be seeing more of in the future! However, his exceptional performance did not overshadow the other cast members, with a fantastic rapport between all the actors on stage. You could tell from watching that the group must have had a fantastic time rehearsing for this production, with such energy and enthusiasm being put into each individual performance.
Overall, Punk Rock is certainly a production not to be missed! It was refreshing to watch a production that had such a fantastic young cast. Being an avid Simon Stephens fan, I must say that the Chipstead Players definitely did this exceptional play justice! A huge congratulations to all involved!
Punk Rock is on one more time at the Rose Theatre Main House on Wednesday 18 July @ 8.30pm