I grew up in the Lockleaze council estate in Bristol and spent a considerable amount of time at the adventure playground there, known as The Vench. So I was intrigued to see what writer Jack Thorne would create when I heard this musical play was based on the story of Lockleaze Adventure Playground and others like it. It turns out that Jack’s dad, Mike, was one of the first play-leaders at the Vench and is the inspiration for one of the central characters of Junkyard: Rick the teacher. Rick, played by Calum Callaghan, thinks ‘it’s pretty hard being a kid’ and wants to recruit the local children to help him build a place where they can hang out and play. Rick is warned by the headmaster (Kevin McMonagle) that the children he selects are ‘not the best students’ but Rick persists anyway. And the headmaster might be right; the kids are initially portrayed as obnoxious and slightly nasty brats. In one of the opening songs of the show the gang proudly proclaim “F*** off… this is me!” over and again. Yes, there is plenty of swearing and smoking in this production; just how I remember it.

But gradually Rick wins them round and, of course, the kids grow to love their creation and develop as people along the way. It’s this ‘coming of age’ theme that anchors the plot and the group of actors who play the teenagers make a good job of portraying their youthfulness, whilst occasionally dropping in some adult gems of wisdom. There are sub-plots of teen pregnancy and adolescent angst. These are nicely woven together with a thread of comedy that runs throughout the show. Erin Doherty as the feisty Fiz and Josef Davies as the comically pugnacious Ginger stand out amongst some strong acting from the whole cast. The songs are delightfully riotous and disordered, playful and funny. The live band, led by musical director Akintayo Akinbode, are sharp and yet discreet at the side of the stage.

Junkyard is a mostly fast-paced and witty piece, particularly in the first half. There is action, movement and dance as the players scuttle around the stage, occasionally pausing for moments of pathos and intensity; although one longer, sombre scene in the second half seems slightly out of place. There are some dark stories in the children’s’ lives and the adults have their problems too (‘it’s not easy running a school!’) The set is fantastically inventive; there is wood, plenty of it, along with tyres, ropes and tubes; just like at the Vench. And the little touches with scene-markers, torches and traffitape are delightful. Stephen Warbeck’s music is the nail that joins the planks together and director Jeremy Herrin smartly assembles the whole lot, which enables the vision to be realised. Jack Thorne and the team at the Old Vic have created an earthy, boisterous musical performance; intentionally rough like the scrap wood used to build the playground.   ★★★★☆   Adrian Mantle   3^rd March 2017