Boys from the Blackstuff ★★★ Garrick Theatre | Until August 3, 2024


Alan Bleasdale's 1982 television series was groundbreaking. It took viewers into the world of working class men who face the grim reality of unemployment or under-employment. It is a story that still resonates today, and this powerful production brings the audience face to face with the effects of a system that leaves workers caught between employers who don't want to pay a fair wage and the government who is more concerned about catching benefit cheats than in creating an environment in which employers must pay workers a fair wage. Boys from the Blackstuff certainly has its heart in the right place, but it unfortunately comes across as more a polemic than a play. The problem is that the plot and character development that was undertaken over Bleasdale's five part television series is not possible in this theatrical adaptation. The subtlety of the interwoven stories is lost, while we are supposed to understand, and care about, individuals whose characters are more often described than shown. It seems as if there is simply too much going on and not enough time to develop the people whose stories are being shared. A couple of personalities do emerge and Nathan McMullen as Chrissie and Lauren O'Neil as Angie manage to make an emotional connection. However, the stand-out character is, of course, Yosser with his ubiquitous catch phrase "Gizza job. Go on, gizzit." In a wonderfully over-the-top performance Barry Sloane wrings everything there is out of this manic and irascible job-seeker. The scene in which he interacts with the two clergymen is simply comic gold. Philip Whitchurch also does a nice turn as the sage of this blue-collar band. Amy Jane Cook's set is effectively atmospheric, but a lot of the choreography seems unnecessary and to the detriment of the abridged narrative. Boys from the Blackstuff is a forceful and funny show that is as topical now as when it was written. It is an important reminder of some critical issues that still face this country.

Rated: ★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Alastair Muir

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Map & Location: 2 Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0HH, UK

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