Set inside a youth detention center, Mike Kenny’s “Bad Lads” is a cautionary tale about the use of imprisonment as a form of civil punishment and re-education. Focused on the 80’s time period and using the North Eastern socio-economic goings-on as a back-drop, Bad Lads explores how time, and culture, can affect the accepted norms and behaviours of society; how do you work towards building a future when society suggests you don’t have one – and how do you react to the potential of violence when culture informs you that you should strike first and never turn the other cheek for fear of losing the respect of others. Hard hitting in places, brutal in others, the deeply personal stories of two sides of inmate life jars as the central character of Medomsley Youth Detention Centre develops further and further into focus as the show develops – ultimately revealing how societal opinions, secrets, and norms surrounding Medomsley affect those who come into it’s presence. A great story, production and performances from the two leads – Robin Paley Yorke and Danny Raynor. Fantastic.