Theatre News Wire

The Griffin Theatre Company is pleased to announce that it will produce the American Premiere of British playwright Simons Stephens' powerful and shattering new play that explores the volatility of adolescent life, PUNK ROCK. The play directed by ensemble member, Jonathan Berry continues the Griffin's exploration of Stephens' work having previously produced the American premieres of his plays, ON THE SHORE OF THE WIDE WORLD and PORT.

PUNK ROCK replaces the Griffin's previously announced play, THE PACT by William Massolia. THE PACT has been moved to the 2012/2013 season because of major commitments by Artistic Director William Massolia with the acquisition and ongoing fundraising work taking place by the Griffin for its recently purchased building which it will renovate and convert into the Griffin Arts Center.

PUNK ROCK is Simon Stephens most successful play to date and was a major hit for the Lyric Hammersmith in London. Based on the playwright's experience as a teacher, this play explores the underlying tensions and potential violence in a group of affluent, articulate seventeen year old students. Contemporary and unnerving the story explores the pressures of teenage life as as group of educated, intelligent young people begin to plan for college and the rest of their lives with the step-by-step, dislocated, latent violence simmering under the surface of success revealed.

The critics in London said the following about the Stephens, PUNK ROCK. A "cracking new play ... superbly acted" is Benedict Nightingale's opinion in the Times. A "superb new play ... a cracking young cast ... the new regime at Hammersmith has got off to a tremendous start," gushes Charles Spencer in the Telegraph. And it is "a remarkable new play" according to Michael Billington, who agrees that it "gets a new regime at the Lyric off to a cracking start".