Tuesday 13th May 2025 at Leeds Grand Theatre
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Alan Bleasdale’s Boys from the Blackstuff is a pretty dark look at the lacerating impact of unemployment in 1980s Liverpool. Based on the 1982 BBC drama (which I haven’t seen – I know, shocking really), this staging by James Graham follows the criss-crossing lives of out of work tarmac layers – all of whom are dodging “the social” who are waging their own war on those down on their luck.
At broadcast, the figure for those unemployed in England was three million (with thanks to the fantastic programme for plenty of enlightening background to this play). That’s an extraordinary figure, and this play movingly reflects on it, highlighting the personal cost amidst such politically charged facts.
The story follows various men, but not necessarily evenly (and it has to be said that this leads to a varying sense of connection with the characters as their stories vie for our attention). Yosser gets perhaps the most stage time, and Jay Johnson gives an incredibly powerful performance, nailing a balance between humour and trauma as poor Yosser battles his inner demons alongside the outward ones.
Next up is the gentle-natured Chrissie, played with great pathos by George Caple: a well-meaning, principled man, but well and truly at rock bottom and therefore at loggerheads with the increasingly fraying Angie (a brilliantly fiery Amber Blease). George is the wise “Old Major” of sorts and is played with yet more gentle strength by Ged McKenna – a representative of the older generation who have willingly blistered their hands for decades, only to find themselves jobless with the rest.
On the flip side is Loggo, played with an air of defiant helplessness by Jurell Carter – repping the younger end of the scale. Reiss Barber cuts a likeable and sympathetic character as the ill-fated Snowy – perhaps one of the most moving examples of just how far the “under investigation” situation can push a person.
Yet another perspective arrives with Mark Womack’s Dixie, the frustrated father grimly considering the future path of his son Kevin (Kyle Harrison-Pope). Meanwhile Sean Kingsley is both slimy as the self-serving boss Malloy and comic as the local eccentric “Shake Hands”, Jamie Peacock nails the ambitious fool gig as Moss and Sian Polhill-Thomas impresses across various roles, but particularly in a scene seeing her fielding unwanted visitors as Ms Sutcliffe.
Gnawing at each man is a painful feeling of inadequacy and failure – yet they persevere through countless trials, seeking the validation of an honest, reasonably paid job at a time when chancers were happily preying on the vulnerabilities of the situation. Tempers flare (Fight direction: Rachel Brown-Williams; Movement direction: Rachael Nanyonjo) and hearts break in turn, but ultimately the enemy remains the system.
The writing moves smoothly between drama and dark comedy, and it’s all realism (with a little eccentricity and some nice sung transitions thrown in), with director Kate Wasserberg giving time and space for each story to unfold, though at times lengthy scenes do become quite static and attention wanes… That said, video designs from Jamie Jenkin provide some welcome variety and add a layer of drama too, particularly for Snowy’s storyline.
Boys from the Blackstuff gives a sharp commentary on harsh and unjust realities – it may have been set a few decades ago now, but just as I was struck by the tragic continuing relevance of I, Daniel Blake a few years ago, this play leaves you with that familiar feeling of sad reflection… So yes, it’s a bit of a bleak watch this one, but it’s an important one.
Boys from the Blackstuff is at Leeds Grand Theatre until May 17th 2025 – more information and tickets can be found here.
Always Time For Theatre 
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