Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 23rd March 2024
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
5****
Witnessing the horrific news report of a family drowning at sea whilst fleeing war-torn Syria, Onjali Q. Raúf got busy founding ORAT (O’s Refugee Aid Team) as well as writing the novel The Boy At The Back Of The Class. I didn’t know the work before tonight but judging by the buzz in the foyer I had the feeling I’d been missing out on an important work. How right I was!
The opening set the tone perfectly by evoking the refugee’s challenge in overcoming the sea’s violence (and other impenetrable barriers) depicted in visceral fashion through music and dance. The adaptation (by Nick Ahad) wastes no time in introducing our main characters and straight away I knew this play had an empathetic loveliness at its heart.
In her introduction Alexa (Sasha Desouza-Willock) told us about losing her dad: “…I’m OK with not being OK” she said. A lesson to us all which drew my first tear of the evening. I found her portrayal to be thoroughly likable and engaging, with just the right mix of wide eyed wonder and indignation at the world that a 9 year old would have. Farshid Rokey as Ahmet (the eponymous boy) was also outstanding. He showed enormous emotional range and, like his character, he took us on a real journey.
Frankly, all the cast were amazing. I wish I had triple the word count to give each a congratulatory paragraph, all perfectly capturing those essential childlike qualities. The actor’s all doubled as adults too, with great elan. I’ll briefly mention Abdul-Malik Janneh as Stan the Taxi Man being particularly enjoyable. Also Zoe Zak and Joe McNamara in their multitudinous roles, having real fun as the nasties (Brendan the Bully and Mr Irons) but were charming too as Mr and Mrs Marbles. Gordon Millar’s Frank was hilarious, wasn’t he? Naaaaahh! Trust me, you’ll understand when you see the play. Petra Joan-Athene as Josie (a joyous ball of unstoppable energy), Adam Seridji as Mr Hart (aptly named), Ryan Rajan Mal (as off-stage swing) and Megan Grech as Mrs Sanders each gave their fabulous all and rounded out this perfect casting. Superb use of music and sound effects (from composer Giles Thomas) and an inventive set that evoked a grand scale and multiple, diverse locations (thanks to Set Designer Lily Arnold) also added enormously to the whole experience.
An inspirational play with a simple yet vital message – that kindness is a powerful force which should be deployed often and widely. This message came most prominently, loud and clear, from two of the most important adult characters in the piece; Alexa’s mum and her teacher Mrs Khan, both played by Priya Davdra in a powerhouse performance that drew its quiet authority from her commanding stage presence and beautiful acting. Wonderful!
There’s never been a more relevant social piece for our times. I can’t be the only one who thought it would be a good idea if this were to be played daily at the Houses of Parliament. Thank you to everyone in this fantastic production for introducing me to such a wonderful show. A show that you will carry with you long after you leave the theatre.