The cast as a whole worked very well together and their connection was very clearly translated making for an enjoyable watch which kept the audience captivated throughout. Perhaps this is due in no small part to the committed ensemble, who move seamlessly between scenes. Maybe it is the performance of Tom Vernel as James - he embodied the role in such a way that it was difficult to imagine this being anyone else's story (or role) - his was a truly captivating performance. It is inspired by the true stories of a young offender from Glasgow, it is about a 15 year old who had committed a violent crime. This short play was part of the National Theatre's "New Connections" programme which commissions plays about and for young people and was presented to critical acclaim at the Royal National Theatre. Wonderful because of the commitment and energy shown in the performance. Yes this is multi-media, fast paced, sometimes noisy and brash theatre but it is theatre that still holds what is important at the centre - telling the story. A small room, bright lights, white walls, a metal door. Oh my God! Imagine you wake up in a jail cell and you don't know how you got there.'

There were moments of real pathos - the passing of James' Grandad was well staged and emotionally truthful. The use of video projection was also effective in that it didn't feel as though it had been used just for the sake of using video. The films often highlighted the important parts of the character's change from 'shy, nerdy boy' to punk - the shaving of the head moment was very strong. What's great about this play is that it can be performed with any number of characters, and with simple settings. You could perform it as a monologue or you could perform it as part of a collective of storytellers. The dialogue is not linked to a specific character so either one person could perform it all, or a group could work how to deliver it. By emphasising the movement through a range of motifs, it meant the play maintained a good pace throughout, and the visuality was successfully complemented by the gritty live guitar music and the moody lighting.By considering it as a true story it really added to the unsettling element of the piece and the participants managed to do justice to this complex story within the performance. McGough’s commitment to the character was admirable as he demanded the audience members’ sympathy with the sheer intensity of his movement and emotion. Suitable for GCSE (with a few swear words), or A Level, it would be a great play for an examined practical piece, or to give to groups and see what they come up. It would be a great play to give to students to help inspire a devised piece that involves collective story telling. It's very well suited to boys (but there could some female parts too if you chose to cast the mother and the story tellers) and especially ones who can do accents-the Glasgow accent features heavily in it. This is not a light-hearted piece of theatre, but it did make for a good watch and contained an unconventional sense of hope as it developed from a tale of despondency and hopelessness to a story of redemption. Sparky is a bright but volatile 15-year-old boy on the brink of permanent exclusion from school. Then one day he falls under the spell of a seemingly psychic girl called Siouxsie and develops his own kinetic superpower. But will it save him or push him over the edge?