Preview: Two Punks and a Tandem, Wardrobe

Cornwall-raised, now Bristol-based Silly Boys stage this devised piece set in the grim heart of the Eighties. EastEnders debuts, Jennifer Rush tops the charts and big hair is all the rage.

But Britain’s youth have no work, no money and no hope. In the seaside town of Penzance, a group of mates decide to do something about it. Out of this gang, two disillusioned young punks embark on a sponsored bike ride from John O’Groats to Land End to raise money for a charity supporting the unemployed. What they don’t realise is that this is a trip that will change many lives forever.

Silly Boys co-founder Callum Mitchell tells us more about the genesis of the show.

How did this show come together, then? You look too young to have been around at the time yourselves…
The show is based on a true story about my dad and his mate. It’s a story I remember cropping up in conversations between my parents and their friends every now and then when I was growing up, but I never got to hear the full extent of it until a little over a year ago when I got chatting to my dad and Leigh (the other punk of the title) and discovered just what a story it was! I knew immediately that I wanted to make it into a show.

What about the period particularly interested you?
The 1980s were a fascinating decade. Part of what interested me were the parallels between then and now. There are many similarities, but for me the biggest difference was that young people then were more engaged in politics. I was curious as to why this is, given that nowadays we actually have far greater tools and platforms to make ourselves heard.
But we use them all for the wrong things. Back then, you had proper subcultures, movements, people taking a stand. From what I gathered speaking to people, our sense of community was much stronger back then, and that desire to belong, to be a part of something important is probably the thing that most attracted us to this story.

Is the show mostly an entertaining romp – or do you hope to make audiences reflect on community, solidarity in difficult times etcetera?
It’s a high-energy, silly show, packed full of jokes, music and stupidity. There is definitely a message in there somewhere, but more than anything else it is a tribute to the excitement, frustration, confusion and the rebellion of youth. We connected most to this desire to do something, to influence change and not just sit around chatting about it.
That has always been our own approach to creating work: Silly Boys was born out of a frustration and boredom with much of theatre today. But you can sit around moaning – or you can get off your arse and do something about it.

Two Punks… also features puppetry. What does that bring to your show?
More than anything, I think we enjoy playing with scale, and with different mediums and forms. We have used puppets in some form or another in every one of our shows to date.
But whereas our last show The Elves & The Shoemaker featured beautiful puppets made by our designer Mae Voogd, this time we wanted everything about the design – from the set to props and puppets – to be a bit crap, as a reflection of the austerity of the times. With all of our shows it’s about throwing as many ideas into the hat as possible and seeing what sticks.

What brought you to Bristol and how are you finding life here?
We’ve lived in Bristol for 18 months now. Both Seamas and I are from Cornwall, so apart from just fancying a change, our main decision for relocating to here was that it makes touring a lot easier. Being in Bristol means we can drive home after shows more frequently, as opposed to staying in a Premier Inn every night.
But it’s a great city too. Between us we have a lot of friends up here, and it’s the city that a lot of Cornish folk tend to migrate to. It’s a vibrant, friendly and multi-cultured place.

Two Punks and a Tandem is at the Wardrobe Theatre from Monday, March 23 to Friday, March 27. For more info and to book tickets, visit http://thewardrobetheatre.com/#/two-punks-and-a-tandem/4587662478