Junkyard – A new musical coming to Theatre Clwyd; “fiercely relevant and it’s full of heart”

JUNKYARD – Theatr Clwyd – 29 March – 15 April 2017.

Book & Lyrics by Jack Thorne | Music by Stephen Warbeck | Directed by Jeremy Herrin

Junkyard is a brilliant new musical with book and lyrics by BAFTA Award-winning writer Jack Thorne, whose recent credits include the West End hit Harry Potter and the Cursed Child and the Channel 4 drama National Treasure and music by Oscar-winning composer Stephen Warbeck, whose work includes music for the film Shakespeare in Love and the RSC stage adaptation of Wolf Hall.

Junkyard is directed by Jeremy Herrin. His recent shows include the political drama This House and the highly acclaimed People, Places and Things.

Jeremy Herrin directs Jack Thorne’s sublime Junkyard, a wildly funny and vivid new musical with original score from Academy Award-winning composer Stephen Warbeck, about a group of misfit teenagers who come together to build an adventure playground.

1979. Rick remembers what it’s like to be a teenager. So when he decides to build a junk playground in Bristol, he’s pretty sure he has the charisma to get a bunch of reluctant kids involved. He’s wrong.

Junkyard is a co-production with Theatr Clwyd, Headlong, Bristol Old Vic and The Rose Theatre, Kingston.

Tamara Harvey, Theatr Clwyd’s Artistic Director comments;

Junkyard is an extraordinary new show – a story of friendship, of hope, and of how to try and survive all the horrors that being a teenager can throw at you. It’s a story about being bullied – about being the kid who doesn’t fit in, who has no friends and who doesn’t know how to stand tall. It’s funny, it’s surprising, it’s fiercely relevant and it’s full of heart.

There’s swearing. Plenty of swearing. These are kids who’ve grown up in difficult circumstances who use swear words as part of their everyday vocabulary. It’s true to the world they’re in and it’s true to the characters. If you grew up in the ’70s, you’ll recognise their language. Come to that, if you went to any playground now, you’d hear the same words being spoken. I think – if you can take a deep breath and see past that language – you have the chance to experience something really beautiful – a great new musical made by Theatr Clwyd that will surely take wing and soar to greater and greater heights.

Reviews

“it’s an ensemble show, and everything about it feels like a labour of love. That’s why I loved it, too.”
★★★★ The Guardian

“Ultimately, Junkyard reminds us of the importance of friendship, of imagination, and of standing up for what we believe in.
Exeunt Magazine

This is not your usual West End musical fare. The songs here flow in and out of the dialogue effortlessly and add subtle depth and warmth to the characters.
★★★★½  The Reviews Hub

“a truly rare and beautifully honest performance, and you can feel the writer’s own experience and love for the story in every character and every word.”
Bristol247

“Thorne’s script is genuinely funny and poignant while composer Stephen Warbeck’s score -orchestrated here for guitar, drum and bass – has its pulse on the ska revival of the late ’70s”
★★★★ WhatsOnStage

“This musical is scrappy, with a big heart. We leave, humming, knowing that a junkyard can also be a joy.”
★★★★ The Guardian

Tickets: theatrclwyd.com/en/whats-on/junkyard