9.64°C Stage Craft @ Young Company brings Simon Stephens’ powerful play Punk Rock to Colchester Library next week in a rare site-specific theatre production.
Colchester Library will become the setting for a powerful piece of modern theatre as Stage Craft @ Young Company presents Simon Stephens’ acclaimed play Punk Rock.
First staged in 2009, the play follows a group of sixth-form students navigating the pressures of academic expectation, social survival and the complicated emotions of teenage life. Set entirely inside a school library, it builds slowly towards a devastating conclusion, making it one of the most striking portrayals of young people on the modern stage.
For director Richard Bland, the decision to stage the play in Colchester came from a mixture of personal connection and opportunity.
“I was walking past the library thinking about the next performance opportunity for my young company when I noticed it had just reopened,” he explains. “The idea of theatre in a space outside a traditional theatre building – and therefore more accessible and likely to reach a wider audience – immediately appealed.”
The library setting mirrors the world of the play itself, creating a rare, site-specific theatre experience for both performers and audiences.
“Punk Rock was the play I used to secure my place at drama school back in 2013,” Richard says. “It’s a play that’s always resonated with me, and now, 17 years on from its premiere, it feels more relevant than ever for young people living in a world that has only become more pressured and uncertain.”
The production came together quickly once the idea took hold.
“The stars aligned in every way,” he says. “I popped into the library to enquire, and by the end of that same day, we had a space, dates and the licence.”
Simon Stephens’ writing is known for its honesty, and Punk Rock does not shy away from the darker side of teenage life. The play explores the pressures, anxieties and expectations facing young people today.
For Richard, that honesty is exactly why the script connects so strongly with young performers.
“After working with young people for more than a decade, one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that you cannot connect with them without honesty and integrity,” he says. “Life can be dark, stressful and overwhelming, and young people want space to talk about those realities. They want to be seen, understood and taken seriously – no more sugar-coating.”
The claustrophobic library setting plays a crucial role in building the play’s tension.
“The whole play is like a powder keg,” Richard explains. “A library is a place where you must stay silent and behave. It’s restrictive and claustrophobic, and that pressure forces emotions to surface in short, sharp interactions.”
Performing the play inside an actual library only intensifies that effect.
“The characters can’t escape their circumstances – so why should the audience?”
Working with the young company on such demanding material has been one of Richard’s most rewarding rehearsal processes.
“There’s been absolutely no need to simplify the work for these young performers,” he says. “They rise to every challenge and have even organised additional rehearsals outside the process.”
Staging the production in a non-traditional venue also reflects Richard’s belief that theatre should be accessible to everyone.
“I love theatre buildings, but they can sometimes feel intimidating to people who are unfamiliar with them,” he says. “A found space like a library opens the door to audiences who might not normally attend theatre.”
For Richard, providing opportunities for young actors to tackle ambitious material is central to Stage Craft’s ethos.
“It’s exactly what I craved when I was their age,” he says. “These young performers have talent in abundance, and we should be pushing the boundaries of what they believe they’re capable of.”
Ultimately, Richard hopes audiences will come away from the production both moved and inspired.
“This isn’t just a play – it’s an immersive experience performed by the creatives of tomorrow.
“If you want a great night out, come and see it. If you want to understand the young people in your life a little better, come and see it.”
Event details
Stage Craft @ Young Company presents Punk Rock
Colchester Library, Trinity Square, Colchester
Wednesday 15th – Saturday 18th April
7.30pm
Tickets available here.
