REVIEW: Boys from the Blackstuff at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Boys from the Blackstuff

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Saturday 24 May 2025

Writer: James Graham

Adapted from Alan Bleasdale's screenplay

Director: Kate Wasserberg

In 2023, playwright James Graham adapted Boys from the Blackstuff for the stage, collaborating closely with Bleasdale. The play premiered at Liverpool's Royal Court Theatre and was later performed at the National Theatre in London. This week the hard hitting and gritty drama lands at the iconic Grey Street venues.

George Caple (Chrissie) and Ged McKenna (George) 

Boys from the Blackstuff is a seminal British drama that began as a 1980 television play, The Black Stuff, written by Alan Bleasdale. This initial play introduced a group of Liverpudlian tarmac layers facing economic hardship. Due to its acclaim, Bleasdale expanded the narrative into a five-part series, Boys from the Blackstuff, broadcast on BBC2 in 1982. 

Jamie Peacock (Moss) and Amber Blease (Lawton)

The series delved into the lives of five unemployed men—Chrissie, Loggo, George, Dixie, and Yosser—as they navigated the challenges of joblessness in 1980s Liverpool, a city hit hard by industrial decline and high unemployment. The iconic character Yosser Hughes, portrayed on television by the fabulous Bernard Hill, became iconic for his desperate plea, "Gizza job," symbolizing the era's widespread despair.

Graham's adaptation aimed to retain the original's emotional depth while highlighting its continued relevance, as themes of economic hardship and social inequality persist.

Jurell Carter (Loggo) and George Caple (Chrissie)

George Caple gives Chrissie the dignity of a loyal family man who tries to hide his despair as he tries to makes ends meet on the dole. Jurell Carter presents Loggo as the resilient survivor, who, perhaps, has more options as he is not tied down by a family. 

Jurell Carter (Loggo), George Caple (Chrissie) and Ged McKenna (George)

The traditional old guard is represented by Ged McKenna's George, full of stories of how it used to be and trying to give advice to the others. George is a paternal figure to many. The attempt, in a corrupt system, to compromise and yet keep a sense of morality under pressure comes from former foreman Dixie, as portrayed by Mark Womack.

Jay Johnson as Yosser Hughes 

But just like the television series, the one character that lingers in the memory, as you leave the theatre is Bernard "Yosser" Hughes. Watching a man getting stripped of everything is heartbreaking. A dignified family man, Yosser is an early representation of mental health and masculinity in crisis. 

Jurell Carter (Loggo), Jay Johnson (Yosser) and Mark Womack (Dixie) 

Jay Johnson plays him in such a fantastic way that you are rooting for the man who is clearly struggling but receives little support. It would be easy to reduce him to an almost cartoon like character with his catchphrase "I can do that - Gizza job" but that is much more about his situation and desperation.

Mark Womack as Dixie Dean

Each of the lads felt convincing in their own situation. This is a powerful drama with an excellent supporting cast - from suffering wives to investigating officers for the dole. As the current job situation is not great for some, the show will resonate with those who didn't see the originals or did not live through this period in the 80s.

Reiss Barber (Snowy) and Jamie Peacock (Moss) 

This is a show that should be watched by any politician that wants to talk about a necessary period of hurt, or any boss considering redundancies - as they often forget the very human nature of such action.

I had high hopes for this show and did not leave disappointed.

Review: Stephen Oliver

Photos: Alistair Muir

Tickets:

This week, the stage adaptation is being performed at Newcastle Theatre Royal from May 20 to May 24, 2025. The production is directed by Kate Wasserberg and features Barry Sloane as Yosser Hughes. Performances are scheduled for evenings at 7:30 pm, with matinees on Wednesday and Thursday at 2:00 pm, and Saturday at 2:30 pm. The show runs for approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an interval .

https://www.theatreroyal.co.uk/whats-on/boys-from-the-blackstuff/