Joe Armstrong Fansite

Protection

Date: 3-26 July 2003
Theatre: Soho Theatre
Director: Abigail Morris
Roles: Adam and Jeff

The Theatre Record review said, "Joe Armstrong make[s] the most of the chance to double up." Fin Kennedy's play deals with social workers and their clients, delinquent youths. The British Theatre Guide Review says, "When Damien tries to sort out the pregnant 15 year old prostitute Janine, Dawn the older but still hopeless Mandy (both clients played by Kellie Shirley) and Angela tries to help another 15 year old, junkie, Adam (Joe Armstrong) the play really takes off." Kate Bassett highly praised Joe's performance in The Independent, saying, "playing the slouching truant Adam, Joe Armstrong makes an outstanding professional stage debut: hilarious, menacing, and terribly vulnerable. A name to watch." An article from the New Statesman says, "Margot Leicester and Joe Armstrong lead a powerful team through the despair and frustration that this first play impressively chronicles."

The official site of Fin Kennedy (playwright) archives an article from the Evening Standard which says of Joe's character Adam, "At the age of 15, Adam has torn up a guinea-pig, killed his mother's cat and urinated all over the course work that he has to hand in for his art GCSE." The same site also includes the script for scene 15, which is a dialogue between Angela and Jeff, who is described as having a Manchester accent and dreadlocks.You can also read a review of the play in the Guardian and visit the official page on the Soho Theatre site.