Punk Off! The Sounds of Punk & New Wave at Dominion Theatre

Se7ven and Prestige Productions’ Punk Off! goes out in epic style at London’s Dominion Theatre after their three-month tour of the UK. As a concert, this punk-new wave tribute captures closely the sounds, clothes, attitude and atmosphere of the 1970s British counter-cultural music scene. But as a stage show, and for those with only casual awareness of the genre’s history, Punk Off! can be messy and inaccessible.

A punk narrator (played by Kevin Kennedy with slick backed hair, leather jacket and scrappy demeanour) takes the audience across the rise and evolution of Punk and New Wave. It’s a two-hour tour through the rebellious break-out of a generation, taking note of leading artists such as the Sex Pistols, The Clash, The Buzzcocks, The Jam, Ian Dury, Blondie and many others. Kennedy swaggers off and on-stage to give the audience exposition, but these become more self-congratulatory boasts and less a followable accounting of the movement’s development. It’s made worse when his voice is drowned out by the band tuning up for the next song. Perhaps it’s appropriate to the anarchic vibe, but it also comes across as poor sound management.

With the Devil Wears Prada stepping aside to allow this temperamentally “devil may care” show to play for one night, the Dominion Theatre isn’t the most suitable venue. While a painted backdrop of Camden Lock Bridge hangs above the scattered “street” facade – establishing the site of punk’s “ground zero” – the small ensemble is pushed too far upstage and seemed dwarfed under the proscenium. Nevertheless, Alistair Penman’s lighting design is vibrant, dynamic and nostalgic, complementing the terrific vocal and instrumental performances from band members Adam Evans, Ric Yarborough and Phil Sherlock. The other featured artists and dancers (Reece Davies, Lazy Violet, Louisa Clark and Joshua Fowler) also have strong voices, but the choreography is repetitive (especially in the first half) and, ultimately, poorly illustrates the moments or music that Kennedy introduces. For the non-fan, like this reviewer, the show doesn’t make it easy to understand the genre’s transitions, top figures or historical events from the one genre to the other.   

Yet, for the diehard punk fan and the generation that hit adolescence in the 70s, this is a perfectly loud and proud love-in. Many favourite songs are played with equal pizzazz and punch, and the laid-back attitude to the event encourages the audience out of their seats and to jam in the aisles. In the end, it begs the question whether any of the additional ensemble or stage work is needed. Punk Off! could just be a straight punk cover night without the theatrical elaborations.    

James Humphrey
Photos: Stephen Niblett

Punk Off! The Sounds of Punk & New Wave is at Dominion Theatre from 22^nd January until 9^th March 2025. For further information or to book visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for Punk Off! The Sounds of Punk & New Wave at Dominion Theatre here: