Bus Stop Goths at The Warehouse in Holbeck

Bus Stop Goths brings together fantasy and suburban subculture in a joyfully chaotic piece coming to The Warehouse in Holbeck this April – a production filled with existential questions, Teesside grit and heavily applied eyeliner.

The play follows Sid and Viv, two celestial beings hidden away in a grimy basement, observing the world and the people moving through it. They notice young people, blissfully unaware of the trials, inevitable heartaches and pain that are sure to come their way, forming their own micro-communities. Goths, emos, outsiders of all kinds – they don’t know who they are yet, but resist definition all the same. The bus stop Sid and Viv gaze upon everyday becomes a stage, a calming constant and sometimes their only lifeline.

Following sell-out performances in 2024, Bus Stop Goths returns for an exclusive Teesside showing before heading out on a national tour – a response that speaks to how sharply the show lands. That familiar image of teenagers lingering on street corners, feeling invisible while watching the world go by, is something most of us recognise. To see it unfold in such a strange and humorous way might bring back memories you hadn’t realised shaped you.

With youth services in decline and public space increasingly contested, Bus Stop Goths homes in on the importance of these informal gathering points, which provide a sense of belonging and community. What emerges is less about subculture and more about friendship and survival.

You might leave with a newfound appreciation for those so-called ‘lost years’. The time spent hanging around, doing nothing, turns out to shape who you become – and who you find yourself drawn to. The show holds onto that idea through its chaos and its quieter, more affecting moments.

This is a pay-what-you-decide performance, with donations invited after the show.