Simon Stephens - Punk Rock

Punk RockSimon Stephens play Bluebird was produced by the Royal Court in London in 1998. He was Pearson Writer-in-Residence at the Royal Exchange Theatre in 20001, and the Arts Council Resident Dramatist in 2000 at the Royal Court. His next play, Herons (Royal Court, 2001), was nominated for the Olivier Award for Most Promising Playwright. His radio play Five Letters to Elizabeth was broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in 2001, and Digging on BBC Radio 4 in 2003. His next stage play, Port (Royal Exchange, Manchester, 2002), was awarded the Pearson Award for Best New Play in 20012. One Minute was produced by the Actors Touring Company, Sheffield, in June 2003; Christmas premiered at the Pavilion Theatre, Brighton, in the same year.

Both plays transferred to the Bush Theatre, London, in 2004. Country Music was produced by the Royal Court in 2004. Subsequent plays include On the Shore of theWide World (Royal Exchange and National Theatre, 2005; awarded Olivier Best Play, 2005); Motortown (Royal Court, 2006; awarded the Theater Heute award for Best Foreign Playwright, 2007); Pornography (Deutsches Schauspielhaus, Hannover, 2007, invited to the Berlin Theatertreffen, 2008); and Harper Regan (National Theatre, 2008). He is currently Artistic Associate at the Lyric Hammersmith. By the same author and available from Methuen Drama Christmas
Country Music
Harper Regan
Herons
Motortown
On the Shore of the Wide World
One Minute
Pornography
Port SIMON STEPHENS PLAYS: 1
(Bluebird, Christmas, Herons, Port) SIMON STEPHENS PLAYS: 2
(One Minute, Country Music, Motortown,
Pornography, Sea Wall) Simon StephensPunk RockMethuen Drama Published by Methuen Drama 2009 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 Methuen Drama
A & C Black Publishers Limited
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www.methuendrama.com Copyright 2009 Simon Stephens Simon Stephens has asserted his rights under the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified
as the author of this work eISBN: 978-1-40813-342-2 A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Typeset by Country Setting, Kingsdown, Kent
Printed and bound in Great Britain by
Cox & Wyman Ltd, Reading, Berkshire Caution All rights whatsoever in this play are strictly reserved and application for performance etc. should be made before rehearsals begin to Casarotto Ramsay and Associates Limited, Waverley House, 712 Noel Street, London W1F 8GQ.

No performance may be given unless a licence has been obtained. No rights in incidental music or songs contained in the work are hereby granted and performance rights for any performance/presentation whatsoever must be obtained from the respective copyright owners. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means graphic, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or information storage and retrieval systems without the written permission of A & C Black Publishers Limited. This book is produced using paper that is made from wood grown in managed, sustainable forests. It is natural, renewable and recyclable.

The logging and manufacturing processes conform to the environmental regulations of the country of origin. Table of ContentsPunk RockThis play is written for Chris Reeves and Peter Nuttall.
With massive thanks to James Siddely, who taught me
General Studies and told me when I was seventeen
that I could be a writer if I wanted to.Punk Rock was first presented at the Lyric Hammersmith on 3 September 2009 in a co-production between the Lyric Hammersmith and the Royal Exchange Theatre, Manchester. The cast, in order of appearance, was as follows:

William Carlisle	Tom Sturridge
Bennett Francis	Henry Lloyd-Hughes
Chadwick Meade	Harry McEntire
Lilly Cahill	Jessica Raine
Cissy Franks	Sophie Wu
Nicholas Chatman	Nicholas Banks
Tanya Gleason	Katie West
Lucy Francis	Ghazalah Golpira
Dr Richard Harvey	Simon Wolfe

Director Sarah Frankcom
Designer Paul Wills
Lighting Designer Philip Gladwell
Sound Designer Pete Rice CharactersWilliam Carlisle
Lilly Cahill
Bennett Francis
Cissy Franks
Nicholas Chatman
Tanya Gleason
Chadwick Meade
Lucy Francis
Dr Richard Harvey The play is set in the present day. The first six scenes of the play are set in the library of the
Sixth Form of a fee-paying grammar school in Stockport. The seventh scene is set in Suttons Manor Hospital. William Whereabouts are you living? Lilly In Heaton Moor. William Whereabouts in Heaton Moor? Lilly At the top of Broadstone Road. William Whereabouts in Heaton Moor? Lilly At the top of Broadstone Road.

By the nursery there. William Thats a nice street. Lilly I think so. William Which numbers your house? Lilly 23. William 23. Right.

The houses on that street are some of the oldest in Stockport, did you know that? Lilly No. William Theyre old nineteenth-century industrialist houses. Some of the shops on Heaton Moor Road are even older. Practically medieval. Is it very different here? Lilly It is a bit. William It must be slightly disorientating having to adjust to a new town in such a short space of time, is it? Lilly Its not too bad. William It must be slightly disorientating having to adjust to a new town in such a short space of time, is it? Lilly Its not too bad.

Im used to moving about. William Why? Lilly My dads worked in four different universities in the past twelve years. Ive grown immune to it. William Was Cambridge the best? Lilly Not really. William Were the people there unthinkably intelligent? Lilly No. William Did they have enormous foreheads and big bulging brains? Lilly No. William Did they have enormous foreheads and big bulging brains? Lilly No.

They were really rich and stupid. William I want to go to Cambridge. Lilly Do you? William That or Oxford. Its my lifes ambition. How did you get here? Lilly What? William What mode of transport did you use? To get to Stockport, I mean. Not to school.

Although you can tell me what mode of transport you used to get to school if youd prefer. Lilly We drove. William With everything packed in the car or did you hire a removal company? Lilly We hired a removal company. We had some things packed in the car. William I like your haircut. William Is that coat real fur? Lilly No. William Its faux? Lilly Thats right. William Thats a relief. Lilly Yeah. William Itd be terrible if you were some kind of animal killer. William Itd be terrible if you were some kind of animal killer.

Imagine my embarrassment. Lilly Im not. William The fur trades abominable. People who wear fur coats should be skinned alive in my opinion. Lilly Mine too. Im glad. Im glad.

Im William. Lilly Hi William. William Ive been coming here for five years. I know the place completely inside out. I know every nook and cranny and everything so, if you want any help...