Shove on some Dr. Martens, crack out your eyeliner and prepare to relive the pop punk hits of the noughties through this performance of
This musical truly pays homage to the world of Green Day and pop punk, making this an intense evening of entertainment.
Car Crash Productions’ ‘OUTREACH’ Project has stomped onto the stage of Greenside @ Royal Terrace performing the much loved songs of Green Day with anarchic punch and high energy as they play drug addicts, young activists railing against ‘the system’, and lost teenagers. Using clips of Presidents Bush and Trump as well as rapper Kanye West, the musical firmly sets itself amongst the conflicted, angry youth of the United States.
The characters are portrayed with confidence as each actor fully embodies the rock/punk style, seeming to enjoy every moment. In general, the harmonies are strong, though there are often moments where some notes are off key during important parts of the songs. The band’s presence on stage gives a great concert feel to the performance, although they do become a distraction in the scenes between songs.
Tommy Campbell is crazy and the epitome of the anarchist, St Jimmy, with stunning vocals and a mature rock quality to his voice that is a rarity for someone so young. The powerful voice of Joey Lawrence with his angsty performance as Johnny is impressive and reminiscent of Green Day’s lead vocalist and guitarist, Billie Joe Armstrong.
Some scenes are not particularly focused and perhaps need more polishing. The portrayal of soldiers in conflict are contrived and not particularly striking, which weakens the drama in one of the more serious moments of the show. Furthermore, choreography during the dances lends itself to the head banging of fans at Green Day concerts and angst-ridden teenagers, however the moves are repetitive and don’t include much variety.
This musical truly pays homage to the world of Green Day and pop punk, making this an intense evening of entertainment.
