Hi everyone,

Another review in quick succession—seems like I’m on a bit of a roll at the moment! If you haven’t already, feel free to check out my review of *The Da Vinci Code* by following the link here.

Anyway, on with this review! This time, I had the wonderful opportunity to see *Boys From The Blackstuff*, adapted by James Graham and based on the hit TV series. The play tells the story of four men in 1980s Liverpool, doing whatever they can—legally or otherwise—to make ends meet. It’s a sad story at times, but also heart-warming in places. There’s grief and loss, but also some well-timed humour sprinkled throughout.

You really do get a strong sense of just how tough life was for working-class people back then, especially under the pressures of the Thatcher government. The play does a brilliant job of showing the struggle to survive while constantly being forced to stay one step ahead of the system.

I really enjoyed the use of the set and props—both on ground level and above. It was simple yet effective. Wooden boxes were cleverly used as seats and tables, and the occasional piece of real furniture was brought in when needed. One thing I did notice was that a good portion of the show was staged in quite low lighting, often with a blue tint to represent nighttime. I found those scenes a little difficult to see, but thankfully they were mostly dialogue-driven and helped move the story along. The only exception was a slow-motion action sequence at the end.

The entire cast gave fantastic performances. You couldn’t help but feel for the characters and the harsh realities they faced. Watching the show really made me reflect on how much easier many of us have it today. *Boys From The Blackstuff* easily goes down as the best play I’ve seen so far this year, and I’m thrilled to hear it’s heading out on tour.

That said, I was very disappointed to find that there were **no access performances** available—no Audio Description, no Touch Tours, nothing. I understand that this was a short three-day run at The Mercury Theatre, but I do hope that as the show goes on tour, accessible performances will be added. This is an incredibly powerful production that deserves to be experienced by everyone, including those of us with sight loss or other disabilities. Access provisions would only enhance what is already a brilliant show.

Accessibility Review

As mentioned above, this production did not include any accessible performances. So, I can only offer personal recommendations based on my experience.

If you have some useful vision, I’d recommend sitting in Rows D or E for the best view. The set does have some elevated elements, and from further forward you might find yourself craning your neck to catch key moments—though there aren’t too many of those.

If you have little to no vision, the good news is that there are only a few physical or visual fight scenes, and the slow-motion scene at the end. Otherwise, the show is mostly dialogue-driven, which means you won’t miss out on too much of the story. That said, I’d recommend attending with a sighted companion if you can, as they might help fill in some of the visual gaps.

Overall, *Boys From The Blackstuff* tells a gripping and emotional story, brought to life by a phenomenal cast. But the lack of accessible performances was a real let-down. Adding these would make a huge difference and open up the experience to even more people. If anyone from the production team is reading this and would like to discuss accessibility in more detail, please do get in touch.

*Boys From The Blackstuff* is running at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester from Friday 30th May to Saturday 31st May 2025 before heading out on tour. Tickets for the Mercury Theatre run can be found [link here]. For more information about the company and other tour dates, visit their official website [link here].

Until Next Time,

The VI Critic

“Boys From The Blackstuff’ Trailer: