It’s apparent from the opening moments of Wrecked that you’re watching a show unlikely to do anything startlingly original, or even interesting. Built very much in the mould of the successful This Is England series, this broken British tale is a formulaic affair that, whilst entertaining, doesn’t have anything to say that hasn’t been said before. The action takes place on the streets of Salford where teenage Toby and his mates run riot. However, his estranged father is unexpectedly released from prison, setting off a series of traumatic events that change everyone’s lives a little bit less than you’d expect.
It’s not that Reuben Johnson’s script is bad; the dialogue is pitch perfect, a prime example of the stylised naturalism that’s come to define this genre. The play skillfully blends comedy with poignancy and it’s impossible not to be pulled into the tribulations facing these well drawn characters. Nevertheless, it does at times feel like a ‘greatest hits’ package of council estate realism; the obligatory absent, felonious father is joined by a whole host of other clichés including corner shop theft, shady drug dealers, and brutally violent assaults. There’s also the odd bit of questionable characterisation, including an Asian shopkeeper who’s little more than a crude stereotype, and an older sister for Toby that gets nothing to do apart from worry and fret.
The play’s centrepiece family revelation doesn’t quite have the impact that it should, and smacks of shock value; the audacity of the father’s alleged crime seems a little unconvincing. After setting up a potentially explosive situation in the play’s final act, Johnson fails to follow through with the consequences, instead wrapping everything up in a neat, convenient bow. It’s a lamentably gutless decision, made all the worse by the knowledge of the countless alternative outcomes, each of which would have been considerably more satisfying than what we are ultimately given.
Harder to fault, however, are the superb performances from an undeniably capable cast. Toby’s dad is the stand out, turning in a performance so arrestingly nuanced that you sympathise with the character in spite of yourself. Moreover, the actor playing Smalley is continually hilarious, capable of bringing the house down with the subtlest of gestures. Given the quality on display here, it’s regrettable that the soundtrack is often so intrusive as to drown out the dialogue. Wrecked has been created by a group of highly talented individuals; it’s a shame that the final creation doesn’t live up to their potential.
