Upon entry I’m handed a badge. “Dreams are free motherfuckers” it says, setting the tone for the evening’s proceedings. The UK premiere of punkplay at the Southwark Playhouse aims – as the playwright states – to explore many different facets of the writer’s personal experience. Punk subculture, German Expressionist playwriting, and a deep rage at the repressive strictures of late twentieth-century political systems are all inspirations in Gregory S Moss’s comical punk pontification. Whilst it is questionable whether all these influences are explicitly evident throughout the piece, over all punkplay captures the spirit of a disenfranchised generation, desperate to be “cool”, different and to make a statement. The only problem is that they’re not quite sure what that statement should be.

As the audience enter the auditorium they are greeted by a series of metallic balloons spelling out the play title. Visually, it is reminiscent of a scene from Robin Thicke’s recent Blurred Lines music video, which is suitable, considering the rude, abrasive and sexually aggressive events that are about to transpire. Be prepared for the sex dreams of Ronald Reagan, onstage oral sex, and numerous vulgar references, including defining the 80s as the soft bit that runs between your scrotum and your anus.

punkplay follows the relationship of East Coast American teenagers Duck and Mickey, an unlikely pairing brought together by their mission to be “punk” – even though they’re not quite sure what that entails. They shave their hair, smash up Louis Armstrong records, watch porn (masturbating openly to the audience… a lot…), and repeatedly try to pick a band name – finally settling on “The Zoo Sluts.” The scenes in which the protagonists “perform” as their band are some of the most entertaining and thematically poignant. Matthew Castle (who plays Duck) is extremely physical as he pounds the onstage drum kit, embodying the rage and unstoppable frustration of youth, and one cannot help but laugh at the parody of Punk music as Sam Perry (playing Mickey) tunelessly shouts down the microphone “I don’t need your fucking rules…dead end schools…bad advice…Christian lies…”

Whilst at times the American accents sound slightly exaggerated or caricatured, the actors are all fully committed and dedicated to portraying their unique roles. Perry’s performance as Mickey is particularly commendable, as he perfectly portrays a geeky, awkward teenager, trying to define and realise his identity. Actors Jack Sunderland and Aysha Kala also embody supporting roles, fluctuating between Sue Gicki – the object of Mickey’s affections; Chris – a hard-core 70s punk; and two refugees asking to stay with Mickey and Duck. This scene is isolated and unclear and so it is difficult to determine the political statement that is being made, and to understand its relevance to the play – which up to this point has revolved mainly around social subcultures and the difficult period of teenage self-definition.

Though at times punkplay loses clarity with regards to its over-ambitious stimuli outlined by the playwright, at its core it cleverly redefines the classic image of Punk Rock, and presents the story of two boys struggling to define themselves in a cut throat world governed by suffocating rules and hierarchy. It may be said that this storyline is achieved early on in the evening, and that the play descends into a repetitive contemplation on “how to be a Punk”, but this does not detract from the vulgar humour and overall enjoyment of this retrospective meditation on a social phenomenon.

Punk Play is playing The Southwark Playhouse until October 1.