Review: Boys from the Blackstuff at Newcastle Theatre Royal

“…a great production that left you thinking about social justice…”

Boys from the Blackstuff by Alan Bleasdale and James Graham, Newcastle Theatre Royal

By Kay Wilson

This tremendous play is the dramatic and heart-wrenching journey of five working-class men and their struggle to find work in their home town of Liverpool. It’s based on one of the most gripping and heartfelt TV series of the ‘80s, Boys from the Blackstuff, which raised important issues and created characters everyone talked about at the time, on a par with the recent Mr Bates vs The Post Office.

Today’s life in the UK can be hard for people but the social context for this play with over three million unemployed makes 2025 look slightly less grim. The poverty depicted in this play from having no food, power, or any type of financial security, was hugely shocking and packed a real dramatic punch.

Alan Bleasdale, a leading playwriter, who featured working-class causes in his work, wrote the original award-winning series and worked with James Graham of Sherwood and Dear England fame to create this play. Full credit to the show’s director Kate Wasserberg who championed the idea for several years before getting the show adapted for the theatre.

The set was a flash-back to scenes from my childhood near Sunderland’s shipyards and docks, full of cranes, scaffolding and huge metal gates, with the loud, industrial soundtrack to go with it.

We are introduced to the leading characters as they queue for their benefits in a dehumanising line, answering inane questions for the umpteenth time. They are all on a tough quest to find work to supplement their social security payments and dodge being caught. Their dance between doing ‘fiddle’ jobs on the quiet and avoiding the rigorous check-ups on their whereabouts is a running theme.

The most vivid character is Yosser, played with powerful conviction by Jay Johnson and a performance which, like the TV series did so may years ago, will stay with me. His mental anguish demonstrated by his insistent demand of everyone he meets to ‘Gizza a job, I can do that’ is almost too hard to watch.

His friends in the quest for work and a better life for them and their families, Chrissie (George Caple), Loggo (Jurell Carter), Dixie (Mark Womack) and Snowy (Reiss Barber) also played their parts with huge energy and had the audience in the palms of their hands. The stabilising influence and person who was the only anchor for the men was George, the community stalwart, who gave out advice and kindness in equal measure. Ged McKenna captured the character’s emotional hardships and calm wisdom very well.

Whilst the play focussed on the five ‘boys’ journeys there were poignant scenes with two of their wives – played by Amber Blease – who depicted the devasting impact poverty had, through lack of work, on family and marriages. What shone through this production was the sense of community which was challenged by economic circumstances, despite everyone’s best efforts to look out for each other. Life made each of the main characters have to take difficult decisions.

The play had the backdrop of Liverpool docks as a slide show throughout the performance and the city with its tough, working-class culture, was shot through it like a stick of rock. There were also interesting points made about why the times were so hard for this once-great city. When the UK turned towards Europe and there was less trade from America, Liverpool found itself on the wrong side of the country to exploit the new trading opportunities.  Although, as Loggo – who had black heritage – said, that trade probably brought his ancestors to England.

As well as the succinct and powerful script, the play had ensemble songs which worked well. They reminded me of sea shanties and were a moment’s pause in the dramatic tension. There were also some super one-liners and funny moments, well delivered.

This was a great production that left you thinking about social justice, the damage poverty can do, but also what can be achieved by personal grit and friendship.

Boys from the Blackstuff plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal until Saturday 24 May. Tickets are available here.

Kay Wilson is a North East-based writer. She won Runner-Up in the Self-Published category at the Comedy Women in Print awards for her debut novel, The Stand-Up Mam. It was inspired by her own experience of performing comedy for two years and charts the adventures of a perfect mother who does stand-up. It transforms her but blows up family life. Described as ‘hilarious and heart-warming’, signed copies can be bought at The Bound bookshop, Whitley Bay. The novel is also available on Amazon here. Kay has a website which promotes extraordinary women and gives updates on her writing life.