REVIEW: Boys From The Blackstuff is powerful and made from the good stuff

Direct from the National Theatre, the revival of Boys From The Blackstuff has just embarked on a new tour. The Theatre Royal Windsor is first stop and if the packed auditorium’s applause is anything to go by, this is going to be a hit.

Set in 1982, it tells the story of five men who are out of work, and the impact that has on them, their families and their friendships.

Across the two hours of theatre, we see it all: the emotional journey is striking, moving and, at times, heart-breaking.

It is based on a television series the BBC broadcast more than 40 years ago, and is available to watch on the iPlayer – https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m001zqww/boys-from-the-blackstuff

Originally written by Alan Bleasdale, he set it in his home city of Liverpool, and reflected on the problems many were facing at the time: unemployment has reached three million, up greatly from its previous highs of around a million.

It has been adapted for the stage by James Graham who says: “You have Liverpool as a backdrop, and the 80s, and these guys struggling in their condition, and then you just set them off like they’re lightning bolts.”

And he has. This is a strong cast – and a large one for a theatre play – with actors playing multiple roles across the evening.

It feels unfair to single out any of the 14 actors on stage, each of whom nails their characters and help us identify with them, their hopes and their fears.

Most famous of the five men is Yosser Hughes, originally played by Bernard Hill and now played by Jay Johnson.

While Yosser’s catchphrase of ‘gizza job’ entered national lexicon and his penchant for headbutting gets laughs, there is a darkness to his life. On the verge of a mental collapse, losing his children and losing it all, this is a role that requires an actor to show the depth of the character, not a comical figure.

And this is true across the evening: Boys From The Blackstuff has comic moments, but the humour leavens the darker side, the exploration of emotions that come out of desperation.

From petty theft to shooting rabbits, from losing friends to losing face, it is all there across the two hours.

MORE CHEESELOGS: Boys From The Blackstuff revival to launch in Theatre Royal Windsor from Wednesday

One moment you will be moved to tears, the next crying with laughter as we share in the lows and occasional chinks of light in the highs.

The sparse use of movement and song to highlight moments is used to great effect, with terrific lighting and soundscapes adding to the drama. The set also makes full use of the Theatre Royal’s stage and is as much part of the story unfolding before us as the acting.

Some niggles in the setting: for men living on the breadline, their clothes looked as if they were fresh out of the Freemans catalogue rather than caked in the grime of despair.

Add to that, some of the fashions and hairdos didn’t match the period of the time, while little period details such as the wrong wording on a lollipop sign or giving the policemen flat caps instead of custodian helmets, also stood out for those of us with long memories.

Fast paced, with parallels for today, Boys From The Blackstuff’s two-hour running time flies by. The play shows it is just as relevant today as it was 40 years ago.

Let there be no doubt: this is a thought provoking must-see that is full of the good stuff.

Boys From The Blackstuff
Theatre Royal Windsor
until Saturday, February 8
Curtain up 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinees on the Saturdays and Thursday, February 6 (audio described)
Tickets from £19.50
01753 853888
https://theatreroyalwindsor.co.uk/boys-from-blackstuff-25/