GARAGE BAND, written by Andy Barrett and directed by Paul Hodson, has started its run at the Mercury Theatre, Colchester.

Four middle-aged, middle-class misfits try to spark a punk revival in this funny, touching and distinctly loud new play, featuring electric guitars, head-banging and existentialist philosophy!

But thirty years on from the mohicans, the glue sniffing and the safety pins through the nose, is there really any place for the 'spirit of punk' in a world full of babies, life-insurance and pasta machines?

"A must-see for anyone wanting to put a few teenage kicks back into their life" Nick Brunger -- What's On Stage

"A comic delight" Alfred Hickling -- The Guardian

"An iconic period which resonates with today's turbulent times, I very much doubt that audience attendances will be Pretty Vacant for this nod to the punk phenomenon." Nick Dines -- thestage.co.uk

Catch the show before it closes on March 9th.

http://www.mercurytheatre.co.uk/event/garage-band/

Roger Spottiswoode's stage adaptation of William Golding's THE SPIRE has completed its world-premiere run at the Salisbury Playhouse, directed by Gareth Machin.

'An outstanding piece of theatre, thought provoking and utterly absorbing. Not to be missed.' -- What's on Stage

'A truly stunning, must-see production.' -- The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald

'Tense, compelling and historically interesting, another excellent Playhouse production.' -- The Southern Daily Echo

Meanwhile, Paul Hodson's Edinburgh Fringe First winner MEETING JOE STRUMMER is being revived at The Cockpit in Marylebone until 22nd December.

Paul's play tells the story of Nick and Steve, whose lives were transformed by Joe Strummer and The Clash.

Tickets are available here.

'Magnificently simple, heartfelt, clear and brave...one of only a couple of shows on this fringe that have actually made me cry, and many other people in the audience too.' -- Joyce MacMillan, The Scotsman

'Punk defined a generation of Thatcher's children who went on to sell out and become something in the City. But where did all that idealism and integrity go? Paul Hodson's two-hander is not just a piece of nostalgia, but an entertaining account of how time slips away and how, even years later, we can still recall what it felt like to be 16.' -- Lyn Gardner, The Guardian

'Glowing with warmth, humour and self-deprecation… sincere and inspiring' -- Metro