Hard-hitting drama Boys From The Blackstuff has arrived at The Regent Theatre, as raw and relevant today as it was in the 1980s, when Alan Bleasdale’s original story shot to fame on the nation’s TV screens.

The play tells the story of how five men - Chrissie, Loggo, Yosser, George and Dixie - battle to find work in the dark and demoralised landscape of Thatcher’s Britain, where unemployment is rife, and getting money from the state strips a man of his dignity and worth.  

There is a powerful, poignant narrative throughout the TV series, and adapter James Graham has ensured that the transition from screen to stage is sensitive, yet visceral. Boys From The Blackstuff is a perfect example of how theatre can absorb an audience, through the power of performance. This production, by the National Theatre and the Liverpool Royal Court, is a force to be reckoned with.  

The setting of the play, in 1980s Liverpool, shows Britain in a state of transition from its industrial heritage to the technological age. Shipping, steel, coal and manufacturing jobs were coming to an end, particularly in the North of the country, and thousands of men found themselves unemployed with no chance of finding work. The impact of this - on families and community, as much as individuals - is brilliantly chronicled by Bleasdale, and imaginatively directed by Kate Wasserberg.

The desperation of these men to find work, to get money, and to feed their families is intensely visible in the play. They step outside of the law, find work on the side and cheat the benefit system - and these ethical dilemmas are vigorously on display. The narrative is an emotive and political tour de force, and the quality of the acting is outstanding from a stellar cast.

Jay Johnson is phenomenal as Yosser - a character who is constantly on the edge, resorting to menacing behaviour with heartbreaking consequences. Chrissie Todd is the complete opposite -played with sensitivity by George Caple - a compassionate, measured and ethical man, who is driven to desperation by financial stress and emotional overload. Jurrell Carter plays Loggo with lightness and intelligent depth - it is not surprising that he aims to leave the restraints of an impoverished Liverpool for a brighter future. Mark Womack and Ged McKenna are impressive as Dixie and George respectively, and Sian Polhill-Thomas and Jamie Peacock are both extremely engaging as the challenged benefit office employees, Ms Sutcliffe and Moss.  

A key element to the production is the exceptional set and lighting design, with its dark, industrial vibe and superb audio/visual content. Two scenes stand out in particular - the demise of Snowy, and Yosser’s apprehension by the law, where the movement direction is first class. The play as a whole is a fine example of drama at its best - simply outstanding.

Five Stars

Boys From The Blackstuff was reviewed by Carol Lovatt on Tuesday 10 June at the Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, where it shows until Saturday 14 June