Whatever happened to Henry Raby? He's doing a show on punk and dinosaurs

"I wanted to make a show that was really close to my heart: a passion project to make a piece about something really important to me, " says Henry. "But also stepping out into the world and saying that everyone should celebrate their passions.

"So it's not Henry going on about his passion for punk, but it's about what matters to me, what matters to the shape and state of politics and art in this country, so hopefully people will take the message from this show that now is the time to feel angry about things and be passionate about what's happening, through the use of spoken word and poetry in my case."

The high-energy Whatever Happened To Vandal Raptor? combines theatre, spoken word, storytelling and live music, delivered with a character-driven narrative and anarchic force, says Henry, who draws on his experience of the national and local punk scene to tell a story of rebellion and DIY.

"It celebrates the 40th anniversary since the explosion of punk on to the British music scene, the spiky spirit of resistance and the burning desire to rebel," he adds. "This is the perfect show for our current climate where bigoted, Neanderthal ideals are rearing their ugly heads and need to be roared down! From activist movements to everyday resistance, the show explores conforming versus rebellion."

In Raby's piece, ten years ago, four school friends formed a band called Vandal Raptor; the best dinosaur-themed punk band you've never heard of. Anti-commercial, uncompromising, and ever snarling, Vandal Raptor thought they would change the world one gig at a time.

"Inevitably the group breaks up, and the three-chord wonders go their separate ways," says Henry. "Our story finds them ten years later accidentally reunited and occupying their old stomping ground, The New Rose pub. They soon discover that the fire of punk has burnt very different paths for the old friends; in some cases, it completely burnt out. Can The New Rose rekindle the Raptors' spirit, right when the world needs them most?"

Henry's hope is for "it to be OK for people to start having argumentative debates about what they feel is important". "That's what punk's taught me to do. The show isn't about having to know the entire punk discography; in fact you don't need to know punk, but in the style of Brassed Off and The Commitments, in the same way that you don't have to be a massive fan of brass bands or soul music, it's about people making an active change to their life through whatever music has inspired them," he says.

"The show's also about pointing out injustices in the world, as well as saying, 'I'm not a cog in a machine; we're all individual, we all matter'."

Raby's performance is directed by Natalie Quatermass, once part of the Theatre Royal's Creative Engagement Department, who worked with the Palestinian community theatre ensemble The Freedom Theatre in 2015, experiencing the potential art has to be a tool of resistance. Since then she has been focusing on creating her own theatre with politically engaged artists such as Henry.

Rebecca Hahner's artwork for punk band Vandal Raptor. "Rebecca plays in the Bristol punk band The Pokemon Liberation Army," says Henry

"Punk is directly linked with activism," she says. "It's directly about rebelling, getting out on the street, and we're seeing people out on the street, marching, protesting, in 2016/2017 that we've not seen before."

Henry rejoins: "Activism has now become a multi-headed beast with things like occupations; safe spaces; direct action, community action. Now there are lots of changes at the local level, which you can link back to punk: making a space their own space; launching their own record label, but also things like making a statement about how we treat each other."

Henry is co-host of the Say Owt Slam spoken-word nights in York, organises the annual Words & Whippets poetry night at the Theatre Royal and is a trustee of Upstage Centre Youth Theatre at 41 Monkgate. In other words, he is a man of action as much as words, such as taking part in the Frack Free York Benefit Extravaganza at the Fulford Arms on March 17.

"One route people can take is to appeal to politicians for change; the other route is more about direct action, putting your body out into the world to change it," he says. "You can work together through grassroots resistance or you can take part in a bigger movement."

Henry stresses that "as much as we've talked about being angry and passionate, this week's shows are also going to be fun – dinosaurs are great, aren't they! – and there'll be chats with the audience too, rather than a man ranting for an hour about politics".

"There are elements of storytelling, with Henry playing four characters in the band, so it's definitely pushing his performance skills," says Natalie. "I wanted to use those skills of spoken word and poetry and put them in a show like this and see where it took me," says Henry.

Raby's passion for activism, dinosaurs and punk will roll up into one show on Thursday and Friday, when punk in particular will be in the spotlight. "There's that whole question of whether punk became extinct, like dinosaurs, but I think punk never went away rather than dying in 1979. It absolutely continues in an underground scene; punk has grown into being more than snotty kids getting angry," he says. "As with dinosaurs in their time, punk comes in different forms."

Unlike dinosaurs, Whatever Happened To Vandal Raptor? will have a future life. "The show is set to hit the Edinburgh Fringe in August and tour from late 2017 into 2018," says Henry.

Henry Raby presents Whatever Happened To Vandal Raptor?, York Theatre Royal Studio, Thursday and Friday, 7.45pm. Tickets: £12 at yorktheatreroyal.co.uk or on 01904 623568. Suitable for age 16 upwards on account of strong language.