ONE of the most highly-praised and popular television shows of all time, Alan Bleasdale’s BAFTA-winning Boys From The Blackstuff visits Bath in James Graham’s powerful stage adaptation, from Tuesday 25th February to Saturday 1st March.
Directed by Kate Wasserberg, the show brings to the stage the 1980s Liverpool of Chrissie, Loggo, George, Dixie and Yosser are used to hard work and providing for their families. But there is no work and there is no money. What are they supposed to do? Work harder, work longer, buy cheaper, spend less? They just need a chance. Life is tough but the lads can play the game. Find the jobs, avoid the ‘sniffers’ and see if you can have a laugh along the way.
Jurell Carter, best known as Nate Robinson in more than 500 episodes of Emmerdale, plays Loggo. Mark Womack, who plays Dixie, has numerous screen credits to his name including The Responder, Emmerdale, Liverpool 1 and Ken Loach’s Route Irish. Jay Johnson, who plays the iconic role of Yosser, has appeared in the films Accused, The Keeper, Boiling Point and Nowhere Boy, with television credits including Little Boy Blue and Crimson Field. George is played by Ged McKenna, whose many stage credits include productions at the National Theatre, Royal Court, Donmar Warehouse and theatres nationwide. George Caple, who plays Chrissie, has performed in a host of plays at Liverpool Everyman, with screen credits including Doctor Who and Tin Star. The cast also features Reiss Barber as Snowy, Amber Blease as Angie, Kyle Harrison-Pope as Kevin, Sean Kingsley as Malloy, Jamie Peacock as Moss, and Sian Polhill-Thomas as Ms Sutcliffe.
James Graham says: “Alan Bleasdale’s masterpiece is a story proudly forged in the humour and voice of Liverpool, and it was a real honour and a thrill to open it to packed houses there, before bringing our show to London and the West End. But Boys From The Blackstuff remains a story of national significance, with a lasting impact on British culture. Taking it on the road, to communities around the country, feels like the most important thing we could be doing next with our story.”
Alan Bleasdale says: “I never expected Boys From The Blackstuff to be quite the sell-out sensation it has become at Liverpool’s Royal Court, at the National Theatre and then in London’s West End. What I always hoped was that the rest of the country might have a chance to see this magnificent adaptation by James Graham.”
Playwright and screenwriter James Graham wrote Sherwood, which was broadcast on BBC One in 2022 and 2024 to rave reviews, and will return for a third series. He adapted his hit play Quiz for broadcast as a three-part drama on ITV in 2020, which was one of the most watched UK television dramas of the year. He also wrote Brexit: An Uncivil War. His play Dear England (National Theatre and West End), a portrait of England footballer and team manager Gareth Southgate, was nominated for nine Olivier Awards. The BBC has commissioned a four-part drama by Graham based on his play. His recent stage drama, Punch, premiered at Nottingham Playhouse in 2024 and his revised version will premiere at London’s Young Vic in March 2025.