Follow

The author of the award-winning Break Away tells a cracking tale in this well-trodden landscape. Reece (Oliver Gilbert) is a shady youth who has fled from Portsmouth to Liverpool and befriended Blake (Adam Redmore), a loser with no prospects and a baby on his hands. Reece indulges in some shady business that brings danger to both boys, with a happy outcome far from certain despite the steadying influence of Blake’s widowed father, Gary (a sympathetic performance by Paul Regan).

The bare thread of the story – three lonely people in search of sanctuary and security – may lack originality, but Garnett’s writing has an irresistible momentum that ensures we care deeply what befalls this trio. The presence of a fourth character, Blake’s imperilled infant son Nathan, only adds to our concern. (Nathan is played by a doll of such extraordinary realism that our suspension of disbelief is never challenged. His creator, Nikki Thompson, has set a high bar for the future of stage babies.)

The complexity of adolescent angst is beautifully rendered by the two younger actors, although they both struggle to tame Garnett’s over-written dialogue. No teenage grunters, these: their articulate way with an abstract concept is at odds with the picture of lost souls trapped by their own inadequacy. Oliver Gilbert has the tougher job because Reece is far more eloquent than he has a right to be. As Blake, Adam Redmore’s expressive face and slovenly body are closer to the mark.

Ken Alexander directs with verve and brio. The Finborough stage is tiny and cluttered in Georgia Lowe’s naturalistic design, yet the actors inhabit it with great physicality. There is a priceless moment in the opening scene where Reece sprawls on the floor while Blake slumps over the settee at an improbable angle, stretching and scratching. Huh – teenagers. Did I mention how funny this play is, or how uplifting? There are nuggets of pure gold amid Follow’s northern grit.