Windsor Theatre Royal – until 8th Feb 2025
Reviewed by Liberty Noke
5*****
Boys from the Blackstuff is a play based on the 1982, 5 part drama that aired on BBC 2 by the same name. It follows 5 tarmac layers lives in Liverpool who have been out of work for a year.
It is clear that this is a gritty drama from the moment you walk in, the stage is set up with scaffolding reminiscent of a building site. We meet the 5 main characters as they are being interrogated by the unemployment department so that they can continue to receive benefits.
The characters find cash-in-hand work and attempt to hide it from the council but they know it is risky. They are all tormented by their morals but are desperate enough to take the jobs despite the risk. The council do find them and Snowy Malone, played by Reiss Barber, falls to his death in an attempt to outrun them.
Jay Johnson’s performance of Yosser is incredible. He comes across as unlikeable to begin with- loud, rude and violent. He seems to be the comic relief with his catchphrases “gi’ us a job” and “I could do that” but you quickly come to learn that he is simply a desperate man on the edge. He is perfectly funny and tragic. We see him decline through the second act desperate for a job he harassed people in the streets telling them “I could do that” as he mimics their jobs.
When Boys From The Blackstuff first aired, unemployment was at a record high but it is clear to see why this play has been so successful today. The running theme of men’s mental health is just as relevant and unemployment is still a prevent issue as well as the class divide. This play resonated with me and with much of the audience reminding us, perhaps that we can take a stable income for granted. While this play isn’t the happily ever after that so many of us want from the theatre but it is a gripping, gritty depiction of unemployment that shows us how our morals can be changed by our circumstances.