James Graham’s powerful new adaptation of Alan Bleasdale’s seminal TV drama, Boys from the Blackstuff is directed by Kate Wasserberg and the Liverpool’s Royal Court and National Theatre production is presented in the West End by Bill Kenwright Limited.
Graham’s acclaimed adaptation of Alan Bleasdale’s Boys from the Blackstuff will transfer to the West End for a strictly limited eight-week season at the Garrick Theatre, following runs at Liverpool’s Royal Court and the National’s Olivier Theatre. Performances will begin on Thursday 13 June, with a Gala Night on Tuesday 18 June, and will run until Saturday 3 August 2024. Tickets on sale from 12 noon on Thursday 28 March.
Graham said of adapting Bleasdale’s drama, “To work with Alan Bleasdale in the room has been the biggest treat of my life. He’s one of the reasons I became a writer. I think Boys from the Blackstuff is more resonant today than it’s ever been before. We’re living through a time right now, with the cost of living crisis, where those fears and that anger towards the lack of hope, the lack of a plan to get us out of this crisis, makes an audience respond and react. And because of how iconic these characters are, and because of all those famous lines that a lot of people still remember, it feels really alive in the theatre. It’s actually really funny: Alan Bleasdale is an hilarious writer and Liverpool has this dark sense of humour that cuts through all the tragedy and all the bleakness.”
1980s Liverpool. Chrissie, Loggo, George, Dixie and Yosser are used to hard work and providing for their families. But there is no work and there is no money. What are they supposed to do? Work harder, work longer, buy cheaper, spend less? They just need a chance. Life is tough but the lads can play the game. Find the jobs, avoid the ‘sniffers’ and see if you can have a laugh along the way.
The cast will include George Caple (Doctor Who, BBC; a member of the Liverpool Everyman Rep company) as Snowy/Kevin/Scotty, Dominic Carter (DC Hooch in Coronation Street, ITV; Janos Slynt in Game of Thrones, HBO; The Responder, BBC; Around the World in 80 Days, BBC; Crossfire, BBC) as Molloy/Marley/Landlord/Catholic Priest/Policeman, Helen Carter (The Flint Street Nativity at Liverpool Everyman, Top Girls at the Royal Court) as Miss Sutcliffe/Freda/Margaret, Aron Julius (Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile; Death in Paradise, BBC; DCI Banks, ITV) as Loggo, Nathan McMullen (Doctor Who Christmas Special, BBC; Finn Samson in Misfits, E4; Wagatha Christie: Rooney v Vardy, Ambassadors Theatre) as Chrissie, Lauren O’Neil (Witness for the Prosecution at London County Hall; This House, National Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre and Garrick Theatre; King Lear, Chichester and BAM, New York; Women Beware Women, National Theatre) as Angie/Jean/Lawton/Student/Lollipop Lady, Jamie Peacock (Masquerade, Epstein Theatre) as Moss/Anglican Reverend, Barry Sloane (Chris Fischer in The Bay, ITV; DS Lawson in Litvinenko, ITV; Aiden Mathis in Revenge, Channel 4; Niall Rafferty in Hollyoaks, Channel 4; originated the role of Troy Whitworth in Jez Butterworth’s Jerusalem, West End and Broadway) as Yosser, Liam Tobin (Sean in Then and Now, a member of the Liverpool Everyman Rep company) ensemble and Mark Womack (Barry in The Responder, BBC; DI Malone in Emmerdale, ITV; Eddie Spearritt in Hillsborough, ITV; Jack in Sorted, BBC; David Callard in Murphy’s Law, BBC; DC Mark Callaghan in Liverpool 1, ITV) as Dixie.
James Graham’s Dear England (National Theatre and West End), a portrait of England footballer and team manager Gareth Southgate starring Joseph Fiennes, has been nominated for nine Olivier Awards and the BBC has commissioned a four-part drama by Graham based on his play. His new play, Punch, will premiere at the Nottingham Playhouse from 4 to 25 May and is based on Jacob Dunne’s book Right from Wrong, an unflinching true-life account of how teenager Jacob throws a single punch with fatal consequences and then, when released from prison, meets the parents of his victim. Graham’s other writing includes The Way (BBC), Sherwood (BBC), Best of Enemies (Young Vic and Noel Coward Theatre), Quiz (Chichester’s Minerva Theatre, West End and ITV), Ink (Almeida Theatre, West End, Broadway) and This House (National Theatre and Garrick Theatre).
Boys from the Blackstuff is directed by Kate Wasserberg (Artistic Director, Theatr Clwyd), with set and costume design by Amy Jane Cook, lighting design by Ian Scott, movement direction by Rachael Nanyonjo, original music composed and sound design by Dyfan Jones, associate sound design by Kate Harvey, audio visual design by Jamie Jenkin, fight direction by Rachel Bown-Williams of RC-Annie Ltd and associate movement direction by Jocelyn Prah. Staff director is Lauren Dickson.
Boys from the Blackstuff will be staged at Liverpool’s Royal Court from 19 April to 11 May and the Olivier Theatre from 22 May to 8 June.
Bill Kenwright Ltd presents the Liverpool’s Royal Court and National Theatre production of Boys from the Blackstuff at the Garrick Theatre, London from 13 June.
