Beautiful Thing

 TNT

Although it's twenty years old and gay relationships are now far more open, in many ways former teacher turned playwright Jonathan Harvey’s touching love story has dated hardly at all.

Set on a Thamesmead council estate where the neighbours seem to know everyone else’s business and money is tight, it’s a tender tale of first love between two young boys trying to deal not only with the usual teenage angst but also the risk of discovery and disapproval.

Fifteen year old Jamie (Jake Davies) regularly skives off games, much to the annoyance of his sharp-tongued barmaid mother (Suranne Jones’s single mum Sandra with her well-meaning hippyish boyfriend), but sporty neighbour Ste (Danny-Boy Hatchard) is more of a conventional hunk whose feelings only develop when he ends up sharing Jamie’s bed after the latest in a string of beatings by his abusive father.

The production still needs to relax a little, but director Nikolai Foster’s likeable revival sensitively captures the hesitant tenderness between the two boys.

And the sunny Mama Cass soundtrack promises future happiness for both them and their school-excluded neighbour Leah as they all look forward to finding their place in the world.

Arts Theatre,Great Newport Street, WC2H 7JB
Until 25th May, £20- £35.00
Tube | Leicester Squareartstheatrewestend.co.uk