Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre Young Company's first show proves a hit

DNA was the first production from the Stephen Joseph Theatre Young Company

The first production from the newly-formed Stephen Joseph Theatre Young Company was DNA – described as a dark comedy – by award-winning writer Dennis Kelly.

It was dark and bleak, frightening, horrifying and tense. Funny? Seldom.

It was about a group of teenagers who believe they have killed one of their friends and concoct a convoluted tale to cover up their involvement and put the blame on an innocent person.

Events spiral out of their control, the lies and their actions become ever elaborate and the tribe begins to splinter under the stress.

The company gives them the opportunity to develop skills for a career in the creative industries

It is Lord of the Flies without the island and mines a seam struck by novelists Eliza Clark in her Scarborough-set Penance and Colin Walsh in Ireland-set Kala – that of teenagers in a small town turned tribal, feral and nasty.

Set in dark woods, DNA has a horror film-like atmosphere. Beware! Don’t go into the woods… Oops, we have. Like a horror film, the scenes get ever more frightening.

Full marks to the young company whose performances – from the school fool to the leads – were faultless.

Hannah Curtis as Leah had the most to say – and do – and was the conscience of the piece. Her fear and frustration at what she had got herself into and finding no way out were palpable.

Keiran Keighley was the strong, silent, natural leader Phil who ended broken and beaten by his actions and their consequences.

Katy Brearley and Olivia Richardson were the catty mates, Maddie and Jan, who went along for the ride, happy to stir it and gossip but never getting too close.

Chavez Idjerhe was the light relief, Danny who dreamed of being a dentist, and Darcie Burgin was brilliant in a cameo as the burgeoning bully Cathy.

Matthew Davies was outstanding as the class idiot and there were stand-out performances from Keane Liley, William Ireland, Jessica Farr and Luke Simpson.

With few props and a bleak, black backdrop, the ensemble brought to life an in-your-face, relentlessly, uncompromising story of badness, twisted loyalties and weird justice.

Conscience meant nothing – getting away with it and being top dog was everything.

It was tightly directed by Rob Salmon and full of promise with a young company bringing something different and vibrant to the Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph stage.