CAST Theatre, Doncaster -until Saturday 7th June 2025
Reviewed by Adam Craddock
5*****
Tonight it was a pleasure to be invited along to the wonderful CAST Theatre in Doncaster for the first time to review Alan Bleasdale’s “Boys from the Black Stuff” by James Graham. The show follows a group of working class men from the Liverpool 8 postcode in 1982 as they try to keep their cash in hand side hustles quiet from the department of employment and try to navigate the twists and turmoil of their difficult employment situation.
George Caple leads the cast as “Chrissie”. Caple has a brilliant naturalism, something shared by the entire cast really, but his performance was so relatable, particularly in the latter parts of the show with his conflict about what to do. Jurell Carter was good as “Loggo”, with a real physical presence that at first glance made him stand out from the rest of the cast. You would not have thought that this production was his theatrical debut with how he commanded the stage. Ged McKenna was great as “George”, the real heart of the show and the emotional sounding board for the other characters. His unspoken wisdom was evident and it was a performance that was brilliantly subtle.
Mark Womack was exceptional as “Dixie”. He was brilliantly conflicted as a character, with his troubles at the docks played to perfection. Reiss Barber was great as “Snowy”, being extremely likeable and endearing with his socialist lectures feeling perfect for the setting. However, my absolute standout from the cast was Jay Johnson as “Yosser”. Johnson gave a marvellous physical and vocal masterclass in character work, with his dialed up performance never once dropping or feeling slightly unrealistic, despite how frankly ridiculous his character is. His emotional performance really moved me, in particular when it came to his children, and I can wholeheartedly say this is one of the best character performances I have seen live. Bravo!
The set and props for the production were absolutely perfect, with a beige hue to everything and a real industrial feel, welded metal lining the wings and shipping crates used to build set pieces. The set really surprised me for a play in terms of its production value and this really made some moments feel just that bit more immersive. The lighting and sound design were both spot on, nothing to extraordinary but making it feel brilliantly real.
Overall, I would highly recommend that you go and see “Boys from the Black Stuff” while it is in town. This is an absolutely fabulous production that is so relatable to us all in the north and I strongly feel should be seen by all.