REVIEW: PUNK OFF! @ THE DOMINION THEATRE

🎭 Punk Off! The Sounds of Punk & New Wave

📍 Dominion Theatre, 268-269 Tottenham Court Road, London, W1T 7AQ

🗓 Sunday 9th March 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

REBELLIOUS NOSTALGIA

It's hard to know where to start writing this review because PUNK OFF! absolutely blew me away as it concluded its first ever tour last night, playing on the stage of the Dominion Theatre in London's West End.

The show is like a love letter to not only the music, but the entire punk movement and has obviously been created by people with a deep kinship to it. Packed full of fantastic music, the audience were on their feet from the very beginning and the high energy performances created an electricity in the auditorium.

Sitting somewhere between concert and musical, this production follows the history of Punk and New Wave from its humble beginnings in New York City, onto its transition to London and then world domination. Kevin Kennedy acts as narrator, talking us through the story. He oozes an infectious passion for the genre and the book by Ged Graham is fun and informative. When Kennedy sings in act 2 he proves just how ingrained into his being punk really is.

The production itself is faultless with everything from the lighting and costumes to the choreography and sound design being absolutely perfect. There is a real authenticity to PUNK OFF! and this is especially true of the music.

The company is bursting at the scenes with talent, Adam Evans and Reece Davies both absolutely rocked the stage with raw performances which were like nothing else I have seen on the London stage. The way their voices morphed to suit each song was incredible and their insane guitar playing skills were exemplary.

Lazy Violet commanded attention whenever they performed and I adored how their voice went from elegant and sultry to full on rock chick. I always enjoy seeing an entire company get a chance to shine and band members Ric Yarborough and Phil Sherlock both performed lead vocals at times and were incredible.

Featuring dancers in the show was actually a stroke of genius and Louisa Clark and Joshua Fowler completed the company and were both phenomenal, adding even more energy to an already thrilling production. Clark also choreographed the piece and alongside Davies and Lazy Violet the two displayed impeccable skill and were an integral part of the performance.

PUNK OFF! is unique. There is no other show like this out there either in style or content. I overheard people saying they'd travelled from as far afield as Dublin last night to see this performance and I know they wouldn't have been disappointed.

This production is an absolute triumph. It has rekindled my own love affair with the genre and the atmosphere during the finale was like nothing I've experienced before. PUNK OFF! is not to be missed, and even though this was the closing night of the tour it will be back again very soon so make sure you keep a look out for any future dates.

Click here to head to the show's website and sign up to their mailing list.

Neill Kovacic-Clarke

All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.

My ticket for this performance of Punk Off! was gifted by Chloe Nelkin Consulting who invited me to watch the show in exchange for my honest review. The fact that my ticket was gifted played no part in the content of my review or the star rating given.

CAST LIST:

Kevin Kennedy - Narrator; Adam Evans - Featured Artist; Reece Davies - Featured Artist; Lazy Violet - Featured Artist; Ric Yarborough - Drums/Vocals; Phil Sherlock - Bass/Vocals; Louisa Clark - Featured Dancer; Joshua Fowler - Featured Dancer

RUNNING TIME (approx):

2 hours 20 minutes, including interval

CONTENT WARNINGS:

Strobe lighting; Loud music; Bad language