Boys from the Blackstuff at Regent Theatre, Stoke on Trent Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Sheridan Brown
I must be one of the few people who remember the early 1980s not to have seen the seminal TV series ‘Boys from the Blackstuff’ by Alan Bleasdale – and I certainly regret that. So I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the beautiful Regent Theatre in Stoke-on-Trent for the opening night of a five-night run of James Graham’s funny yet deeply moving play.
Directed by Kate Wasserberg, the play centres on the lives of a group of five unemployed men in Liverpool in the early 1980s. The play gives us a heart-rending glimpse into the impact of joblessness, poverty and loss of identity for working class men caught up in the recession. Writer, James Graham cleverly brings together laugh-out-loud moments with deeply moving scenes to create a rich, multi-layered play, exploring men’s mental health, voicelessness and emasculation. It made me think in a different way about the impact of government policy on individuals and communities.
We travelled to Stoke-on-Trent by car and found lots of parking – an easily-navigable five-minute walk from the theatre. Regent Theatre was easy to find as it stands prominently at the top of an incline. The modern exterior belies the theatre’s beautiful Art Deco interior. It was first opened as a cinema in 1929 and fully restored in the 1990s. We were made very welcome by theatre staff and found everything we needed (toilets, bar, snacks) very easily before making our way to the stunning auditorium. There is a standing-only bar in the ground floor foyer – but we were also directed to a stunningly restored Piano Bar on the first floor, where we could sit in very opulent surroundings, enjoying a glass of wine or coffee before the show began. We couldn’t find much online information about accessibility before our visit (patrons are invited to call the theatre for access information). However, we found the venue provided good access with lifts and sloped flooring where needed.
As we took our seats in the busy auditorium, we were presented with an atmospheric set (designed by Amy Jane Cook) that conveyed the industrial decay of the Liverpool docks in the 1980s. Corrugated iron, girders, dim lighting and cleverly projected choppy waters (Video Design by Jamie Jenkin) came together to provide a point of reference for the whole of the play.
At the start of the play we were introduced to five of the main characters, Chrissie (George Caple), Loggo (Jurell Carter), Yosser (Jay Johnson), Dixie (Mark Womack) and George (Ged McKenna). This group of men are all in the same boat – out of work, desperately looking for a job – when there are no jobs, and moonlighting whenever possible to help make ends meet.
Throughout the play these men are caught in a cat-and-mouse chase between Job Centre staff with nothing to offer, and Employment ‘Sniffers’ intent on finding and prosecuting illicit workers. Each of the men has his own demons to face. The dehumanising and emasculating effect of having no job, no voice, no fight and no hope impact each in different ways. Characterisations were sensitive, complex, very human and very believable. Stand out performances, for me, were those of Chrissie (George Caple) and Yosser (Jay Johnson) – very powerful indeed.
The main characters were supported by an amazing cast – many playing multiple parts. This really helped me appreciate the quality of the whole cast. Stand-outs here were Amber Blease who plays Angie (big boots to fill from the TV series) and Sean Kingsley who appeared to play a myriad of roles – from nasty to nice – adding great menace or comic timing to several scenes.
Whilst this is a play about the mental health impacts of industrial decline – and loss of working-class male identity, the play is not a merely a misery-fest. Writer, James Graham cleverly juxtaposes powerfully poignant moments with laugh-out-loud humour; there is as much lightness as there is dark. The power of the dialogue also shone during a number of monologues – the audience was rapt and hanging on every word. Yet not everything is laid plain and inference is used on more than one occasion – the audience is invited to fill in the gaps – who are the ‘bad guys’ after all? We talked a lot about this on our way home from the theatre.
Whilst the cast present their characters very naturalistically, this is augmented by some amazing visual set pieces which are very arresting and, at times, took my breath away. Movement Direction, by Rachael Nanyonjo and Jess Ellen Knight (Associate Movement Director) was fabulous and really added another layer of drama to the performance. The use of slow-motion movement was particularly powerful throughout and often used in shifts from scene to scene. But one scene, in particular stands out for me. Supported by a well-chosen musical soundscape (Dyfan Jones) and expert fight direction by Rachel Bown-Williams of RC-Annie Ltd, the power and emotion of the scene made me shed a tear; I challenge you not to do the same!
The action of the play is further supported by thoughtfully designed lighting (Ian Scott), along with props and costume (Amy Jane Cook). These were right on the money for the early 1980s. At times I found myself ‘artefact-spotting’ for familiar objects – a bamboo side table – my husband’s wedding suit! Props were moved efficiently around the set by cast members and added a visually stylistic layer to the performance at times. My husband commented that the movement of players around the stage sometimes reminded him of a Lowry painting. I can absolutely see where he was coming from.
Overall, I’m so glad I had the chance to be part of the audience for this performance. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it made me consider the significance those times in a new way. Whilst I felt it took a little time for the actors to find their rhythm (it was their first night) by the end of the play I was completely convinced and utterly moved by all their performances. Bravo!
Rating: 4/5
Dates: 10 June – 14 June
Tickets: from £15
Remaining shows are bookable here www.atgtickets.com