Beautiful Thing (2007)
Directed by Elaine Heath
Performances: Tue 4th – Sat 8th September 2007, Bell Theatre
Summer, 1984. It's hot - and it's about to get a whole lot hotter!
Jonathan Harvey's critically acclaimed play, Beautiful Thing, comes to the SLT stage, in a lavish production to mark the theatre's 40th birthday celebrations.
With the Bell Stage transformed into a Thamesmead housing estate (complete with a bedroom that miraculously appears as if by magic) get ready for the feelgood, make you wanna clap your hands and dance up and down phenomenen that is Beautiful Thing - An Urban Fairytale.
Jonathan Harvey's best-known play was first staged at the fringe Bush Theatre in 1993, then went on to become a big West End hit and was filmed in 1996.
The title refers not to gay love as such, but to the first love experienced by two 16-year-olds, Jamie (David Clements) and Ste (Tom Bucher), one summer on a council estate in south-east London. Jamie bunks off from sport at school, while Ste is renowned for his all-round sporting prowess, but when Ste stays over one night after a violent argument with his father and brother, their mutual attraction develops into sexual awakening and romance blossoms.
Jamie's mother, Sandra (SLT newcomer Fiona Cullen), is too preoccupied with her shift work as a barmaid and with her dope-smoking artist boyfriend Tony (Chris Learmonth) to notice what's going on, but the Mama Cass-obsessed girl next door, Leah (Rita Goodhead), soon realises why Ste hasn't responded to her advances.
Much has changed since the play was written - including the repeal of the discriminatory Section 28 of the 1988 Local Government Act forbidding the 'promotion of homosexuality', the lowering of the homosexual age of consent to 16 and, most recently, the introduction of 'civil partnerships' for gay people - but Beautiful Thing has dated well because it is more romantic than polemical. This tender comedy of adolescent love retains its charm.
Jonathan Harvey's tale of love blossoming between two teenage boys in a Thamesmead council block still retains all the humour and emotional clarity that it did when the original opened over a decade ago. Great writing stands the test of time - the voices are still true.
Contents
Cast
- Jamie - David Clements
- Ste - Tom Bucher
- Leah - Rita Goodhead
- Sandra - Fiona Cullen
- Tony - Chris Learmonth
Crew
- Producer - Stuart Draper
- PA/Choreographer - Brendan Murphy
- Stage Manager - Graham Clements
- Assistant Stage Manager - Jennifer Campbell
- Lighting Design - Stuart Draper
- Special Effects - Neil Carmichael
- Set Design - Charles Doyle, Graham Clements
- Set Painting - Hazel Hindle
- Sound Design - Stuart Draper, Neil Carmichael
- Fight Director - Anton Krause
Reviews
"With Beautiful Thing, the SLT celebrated its 40th anniversary. If they keep producing plays of this standard, they should be around for another 40 years at least."
Review on the SLT discussion board
Gallery
- Photos by Mark Davies
Reminiscences and Anecdotes
Members are encouraged to write about their experiences of working on or seeing this production. Please leave your name. Anonymous entries may be deleted.
The last performance on Saturday evening (8th September 2007) was attended by the actress Tameka Empson, who played Leah in the movie of the play. A few of the cast & crew knew before hand, but we made it our mission to keep it quiet from Rita, until after the performance.
See Also
Have there been other SLT productions of this play? Link to them here.
Or add anything that is related within this site. The author's page for instance or other plays with a similar theme.
