Teenage Kicks

John Peel, man and legend, is an imposing figure to take to the stage, especially so soon after his untimely death, yet Paul Hodson's play has done justice to his sizable legacy. For a generation of small-town kids, Peel's broadcasts were a shining beacon of hope in an otherwise dreary and despondent time. It is that impact which Teenage Kicks captures so well, and many 30- or 40-year-olds will recognise one scene featuring a child listening secretly under the sheets.

Teenage Kicks focuses mainly on a spell of six or seven years in which Peel started working with his producer John Walters, and changed from a long-haired hippy playing John and Yoko records to the down-to-earth DJ who introduced punk to a generation. It's that relationship which proves crucial to the success of the play, with Peel and Walters proving perfect springboards for each other's jokes and rants in a consistently amusing play.

Teenage Kicks is not without its poignant moments either. A moving monologue in which an AA driver (yes, an AA driver) at Peel's funeral explains the impact the DJ had on his life will resonate with any who understood John's appeal. However, it is a line from John Walters which best conveys the impact and importance of John Peel for the last three generations of music lovers – he was the only DJ who ever truly mattered.