Punk Rock and Bassett performed at the Mary Wallace Theatre in Twickenham by teenage actors is a must-watch, but not for the faint-hearted.

The words ‘Shockingly Brilliant’ to describe the two-in-one performance of the one act plays - Bassett and Punk Rock, imply two different but equally true meanings. The first being that the quality of the acting, directing and overall performance is incredibly high from the young actors, and the other being that you may be shocked by the language and images portrayed during the performances.

The first of the two performances is a play written by James Graham - Bassett. Set in a school classroom in the Wiltshire town of Wootton Bassett, the students find themselves locked in their classroom on the day that a former pupil who died in the army in Afghanistan, returns in his coffin to be remembered in a town parade. As frustration amongst the students mounts, they begin to fight with each other, raising issues that trouble many teenagers today such as bullying, racism and violence. The vulgar language and topics discussed within this Year 11 classroom may come as a surprise to many, although it must be considered that for theatre purposes, much of it is exaggerated. Even with this in mind, the trauma of the pupils desperate to pay tribute to a colleague who has passed away leaves a severe feeling of poignancy for the audience. I sensed at the interval that people were perhaps taken aback by the ferociously dramatic situation they had just witnessed. The most prominent character, Leo, excellently acted by Adam Green, appears to be the toughest and roughest of the group carrying a baseball bat and tormenting most of his fellow pupils although even he is shown to be affected by the disturbing nature of the day. The discomforting and upsetting play was performed very well and there was a clear chemistry between the aspiring actors. Daisy Haslam, who played Rachel, wrote that "Many of the characters are concealing secrets and express their emotions in unexpected ways, contributing to a volatile group dynamic that has been exciting to create." Having not known what to expect prior to the performance, it made for a fascinating watch at a very high pace, albeit uncomfortable at times.

As with Bassett, Punk Rock is also set in a school environment, only this time in a sixth form common room. As if the first performance had not already left the audience in awe, the second contained perhaps more frequent and more distressing scenes to leave the audience pale. The focus of Punk Rock is on the difficulties of those suffering from severe mental health issues. William Carlisle, acted flawlessly by Johnnie Clark, is a character whose mind seems romantically set on sixth-form newcomer, Lilly Cahill performed by Edie Moles - although his mental deterioration is evident following his unfortunate rejection. The events that follow are at the least very distressing, with the final scene set in a hospital. Similar to Bassett, bullying is portrayed as a prominent issue in a modern day schooling environment, with Bennett Francis, played by Dominic Upton, behaving imperiously towards his sixth-form colleagues, in particular pushing around the 'nerdy' kid, Chadwick. With the ending being insufferable for some viewers, the play is a perfect example of how seriously mental health issues should be treated, and that if ever you are concerned about somebody, you should seek help before it spirals out of control.

Your Local Guardian: The Cast of the PlaysThe Cast of the Plays

Director, Katie Abbott has done a wonderful job in compiling the two separate plays into one evening, and she certainly didn't hold back in any of the scripts even though it is a youth production. In the programme, Katie Abbott wrote that "the point of the plays is the need for personal understanding and release away from the academic system". This is certainly emphasised by the students being locked in the classroom and the lack of support for someone suffering from mental health issues leading to devastating consequences. I found the evening very enjoyable, even if I was feeling a bit shook (I’m sure I wasn’t alone) after the plays. I spoke to one member of the audience afterwards, who said that having dealt with mental health issues in schools herself, she found it particularly poignant. Later this year, the cast are travelling to Malta to perform Punk Rock and Bassett in what I’m sure will be a memorable experience for them.

Punk Rock and Bassett is on at the Mary Wallace Theatre, The Embankment, Twickenham, until the 24th February 2019. Tickets are available online.