Simon Stephens’ play Punk Rock is set amongst the anxieties and social hotpot of a posh English grammar school. Presented by the 3rd year Acting students at WAAPA, it is as depressingly relevant today as when it premiered in 2009.
Punk Rock takes place almost entirely within the confines of the sixth-form library, which no adult ever seems to enter. This sense of separation, of neglect, is reinforced by Emily Chong’s set design. The grey concrete walls and iron shelves with a few dusty books create a pressure cooker of loneliness and anxiety. It’s within these walls that six teenagers navigate their mock exams and impending release into the adult world.
The ‘punk rock’ of the title and the musical interludes between scenes, from sound designer Connor Futter, hint at the rebellion beneath the surface of this relatively privileged demographic.
This stellar cast of Acting students portray teenagers with excruciating authenticity. Each character navigates the social hierarchy, testing its edges and making their bids for love, connection, and power. All the while hiding away their desperate fear of rejection.
Their conversations are shudderingly reminiscent of my own school years. Without leaning into slang, they accurately capture the cringe and desperation of the most turbulent time of most people’s lives. The cast’s Mancunian accents range in authenticity, but this story could easily be set anywhere in the world.
Hank Harris plays William Carlisle, an endearing oddball with a dangerous desire for attention. He portrays this mightily complex character with a brilliant performance. It is unclear whether William is intended to be understood as undiagnosed autistic or if his quirks are another result of the struggle for belonging. Harris plays curiosity, sadness, elation, fear, and fury all with immense talent.
William’s schoolmate Bennett is the jokester, the closeted gay, and the tyrannical bully. Victoire Hemedi plays him with a desperate, chaotic energy. He makes it easy to see why he gets away with his frightfully cruel behaviour.
The other students are jock Nicholas, played Jay-Kay Davies. Newcomer Lilly, played by Rosalili Ford. Intelligent yet chavvy Cissy, played by Grace Ghanem. Kind-hearted romantic Tanya, played by Denli Chavez. And science geek and outcast Chadwick, played by Pierse Cant.
Each performer handles the multilayered depth of teenage anxiety with skill and flair. This melting pot of characters makes for a tense exploration of the fear that impending adulthood brings, especially in a world of tragedy and corruption.
When Chadwick makes a fiery speech about the apocalyptic nature of the world they are entering, he unerringly describes our modern climate. Cant’s performance perfectly straddles the line between pessimistic 2009 schoolboy, and social commenter nodding to the modern audience’s knowledge of the truth to his predictions.
When Punk Rock first premiered it was well-received, but the most consistent criticism was the unbelievable nature of the violent ending. It is a sad truth that sixteen years on, the violence that comes from this pressure cooker of anxious teens is not just unsurprising but expected. My guest confessed to playing a game of ‘Guess the School Shooter’ within fifteen minutes of the start.
Despite the depressingly common nature of this ‘shock’ ending, it succeeds in creating the tension and emotional reaction needed, under Shane Anthony’s direction. In particular, Chavez as Tanya shines in this intense scene packed with emotion. It will take me a few days to process what I saw.
Punk Rock is a thought-provoking and emotional journey back to our turbulent teenage years and is sure to leave you stunned.
Punk Rock is presented by WAAPA’s 3rd year Acting students. It runs to 19 June at the The Enright, Edith Cowan University, 2 Bradford St, Mount Lawley WA 6050.
Tickets: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1378618
Website: https://www.waapa.ecu.edu.au/performances-and-events/performances/2025/punk-rock
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/waapa.ecu/
Photo credits: Stephen Heath Photography
Content warning: Blood, themes of suicide, death, weaponry, loud bangs, sexual references, partial nudity, coarse language, bullying and harassment.
