Reader Reviews
Boys (Soho Theatre, Inner London)
Back to Show Details| Score | Comment | Date |
 | Seeing Danny Kirrane (so brilliantly loathsome in Jerusalem) lounging about student digs listening to music, while another character pops out surprisingly from a surprising place, immediately suggested to me that this would be another youth-oriented conversational state of the nation play, like Jerusalem. And in a good way, that is exactly what it is, expanding on Ella Hickson's previous work dealing with the diminishing expectations of today's young people. Like Jez Butterworth, Hickson knows her youthful dialogue and creates wonderful defined characters. Kirane's lethargic yet thoughtful Benny is very likeable here, and his amoral roommate, Mack, played flawlessly by a broodingly malevolant Samuel Edward Cook, is not. So I expected schematics when dealing with their conflict over a historical tragedy. But those schematics never materialise, phony conflicts are avoided, and all the characters are sketched with empathy and depth. So this emerges as a youth version of Jerusalem, a state of the nation that is less grand in it's scope, dealing with the plight of the young rather than the fate of everyone, yet equally well written and biting and insightful. All the other actors are wonderful too: Lorn Macdonald as an easily influenced conformist, Tom Mothersdale as a 30 year old human ostrich whose head is buried in a bag of drugs, Eve Ponsonby as a girl whose privilege has dulled her conscience, and Alison O’Donnell whose goodtime girl outer layer conceals a softer core beneath. A limited play that is otherwise excellent in every way. - steveatplays | 16 Jun 12 |
| Such an amazing play -on so many levels important to see ! GO GO !!! - Helen Miller | 10 Jun 12 |
| Makes alot of current West End offerings like safe and irrelevant. This is a cracking script, with well nigh perfect cast and production. Not to be missed. - ajh | 02 Jun 12 |
| Bloody loved it, snappy writing, really well directed, great actors, cried, laughed, stood at the end. Get it in the West End please! - John Marsh | 02 Jun 12 |
