"I look at the pictures of James Dean on my wall and I reckon you know maybe I mean he died young and if he had come back I mean why not why not me?"

Growing up's hard to do, and in a Pennine town it isn't any easier, as adolescent Adam tries desperately to navigate his way through secondary school, first love, plenty of lust, and swimming survival lessons, all the while waiting to discover if the boy can ever become a man in Matthew Dunster's crackling, candid and captivating coming-of-age drama.

You Can See the Hills premiered at the Studio, Royal Exchange Theatre Manchester in September 2008.