Review: Beautiful Thing- Leeds Playhouse

Words by Mia Hassan / Edited by Mia Stapleton

Mia Hassan reviews ‘Beautiful Thing’, Leeds Playhouse’s newest production.

The 2023 revival (and 30-year anniversary) of the 1993 play, ‘Beautiful Thing’ written by Jonathan Harvey, was performed last month at Leeds Playhouse. It was truly a theatrical testament to the genius of this fabulous piece of literature. With a harmonic balance of comedy and poignancy, director Anthony Simpson-Pike perfectly executes the angst, the joy, the struggle, and, most importantly, the love that is imbued into not only Harvey’s play, but the queer teenage experience.

From the moment I walked in until the minute I left, the set felt vibrant and exuberant; the stage was transformed into an accurate artistic and visual depiction of a classic South East London council estate, and all the life that is found within it. Although the building itself is quite dull through its monochromatic and brutalist architecture, the atmosphere of the set was colourful, vivacious, and directly mirrored the soul and verve that this piece exuded. As the stage comes to life, we meet two teenage boys, Ste (played by Raphael Akuwudike) and Jamie (played by Rilwan Abiola Owokoniran), the audience is immediately immersed in their chaotic yet heart-warming journey from friends to lovers.

(Image Credit: Mia Hassan)

Both actors were exceptional in their delivery of these characters, captivating the audience, and making us all entirely invested in Ste and Jamie’s development and exploration of their sexuality. Furthering this, by casting two gloriously talented Black actors to play Ste and Jamie, this contemporary production brings an extremely important and necessary representation to the stage- Black queer identity. Simpson-Pike’s vision comes to life with this casting decision, and is such a remarkable way of fashioning this already iconic piece of writing into an impactful, pertinent, and contemporary piece of theatre.   

Although the lovable characters of Ste and Jamie are the main protagonists, the so-called ‘side characters’ are far from irrelevant – the rest of the characters, comprising of Jamie’s mum, Sandra (played by Shvorne Marks), Ste and Jamie’s best friend, Leah (played by Scarlett Rayner) and Sandra’s lover, Tony (played by Trieve Blackwood-Cambridge), all profoundly contributed to the warmth, the light, and the humour innately rooted within this production. Despite being written 30 years ago, not a single joke fell flat in the whole piece which is, firstly, a near impossible task, and secondly, a credit to both the actors’ divine execution of their lines, and their overt passion for their individual characters. From start to finish, every character felt fully realised and refined through their distinct personalities, quirks, and traits; although many of the characters are obviously inspired by real people (I definitely know and love some Sandra’s), the cast have made these characters their own, moulding and nurturing them from the already incredibly enchanting characterisation created by Harvey. Each interaction between characters, whether it be mother and son, or teenage boy and his crush, is greatly relatable and convincingly realistic, which in turn created a fervently resonated piece with the audience, evident by their incessant laughter, tearful sniffles, and the most enthusiastic cheers and applause.

Overall, this production not only honours the legacy of Harvey’s great work, but also celebrates Black queer identity in the most spectacularly theatrical way. Promoting authenticity, acceptance, and love, Simpson-Pike accomplished an incredible revival of this play, taking the audience on a wonderful whirlwind of emotions and leaving a lasting imprint on all who attended. Through impeccable casting, carefully crafted script, important themes, and enchanting atmosphere, ‘Beautiful Thing’ is a piece truly doused in beauty.

(Image Credits: Leeds Playhouse)