The Static

Davey Anderson’s new play is part-Juno, part-Punk Rock in its depiction of adolescence. Expertly choreographed and soulfully performed, it’s a fantastical look into the violent impulses of teenagers.

Anderson’s script is sweetly and imaginatively written: Sparky, a restless teenager, is diagnosed with ADHD, begins an obligatory course of Ritalin and starts wearing headphones to block out the voice he hears in his head. He falls for Siouxie, a girl who claims to have other-worldly powers, and together they roam the corridors of their high school trying to make objects move using only the power of Sparky's mind.

Brian Vernel and Samantha Foley are great as the central couple. They’ve got just the right amount of cheekiness and youthful vigour to make us cheer them on, despite their occasional dark thoughts. Pauline Lockhart and Nick Rhys’ turns as put-upon teachers Mrs Kelly and Mr Murphy are wonderful too, and together the foursome create an involving and endearing landscape of characters.

The set is artfully manipulated by the actors from scene to scene, and the wall of lockers that dominates the stage doubles up as a screen for atmospheric film sequences. But despite the magnificent build-up, the end fizzles out a tad. There’s a lack of clarity in the climactic scene in which Sparky’s anger threatens to manifest itself as violence, and an over-reliance on the locker projections instead of the brilliant cast. But Anderson’s playful writing shines through in the end, proving that The Static is every bit worthy of the UK tour it is embarking on when the Fringe is over.