God Save The Teen by Andrew Mulletproof Graves
Andrew Mulletproof Graves, directed by Rob Gee
Upstairs @ The Western, 2 October 2015
“how to grow up and get it all wrong”
Andrew ‘Mulletproof’ Graves is a performance poet and published
writer. God Save The Teen is the story of his tortured teen years growing up in
a dying mining community with a father wallowing in self pity, alcohol and cold
sprout and Daddie’s sauce sandwiches and an absent mother. He survived despite
getting almost everything wrong. Just like all teenagers.
This may all sound very dire but Graves manages to lace his
seemingly grim youth with liberal doses of humour.
The piece opens with one of those punk verses; torturous rhyming
couplets of convoluted prose. Thankfully this is only a mercifully short
prologue before he launches into a series of stories of his adolescence, in
turn sad and hilarious. The narrative whips back and forth throughout the 80’s and
is dotted with vivid vignettes of clarity and humour.
The piece is divided, chapter-like with music from the era
and mostly topped with short punk poetry verses. Not to my taste but I guess as
a good a way as any to set the scene for the next story.
More information about the poet and upcoming gigs can be
found on http://mulletproofpoet.co.uk/
http://upstairsatthewestern.com/
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