Review: Beautiful Thing
It’s been a long time since I’ve set foot in a theatre and I’m sure I don’t need to explain why - the last year or so has not been what you’d call ‘recreational’.
So imagine my delight when I discovered I could watch theatre from home and yes, even review it. Enter ‘Digital Theatre’, a subscription platform offering high quality recordings of plays, musicals, operas, dance and concerts from a range of big name companies.
I began with the 20th anniversary production of Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing, performed at The Arts Theatre, London.
Beautiful Thing © Michael Lidbetter
Set on a 1990’s South East London council estate, Beautiful Thing follows the emerging love story between two teenage boys, Jamie (Jake Davies) and Ste’ (Danny-Boy Hatchard). The pair’s tentative, caring relationship is set against a gritty backdrop of hard-hitting themes including class, family, domestic abuse and drug misuse.
What sets the play apart from some other ‘hard-hitting’ stories, is the playful, humorous way in which it is delivered. Davies and Hatchard have a fantastic chemistry and some of Davies’ lines in particular are delivered with wonderful comic timing. The discovery of their feelings toward one another is played with sincerity, and a certain simplicity, which feels refreshing.
Whilst the writing doesn’t make light of the potential struggles they may face as two gay, working class young men in South East London, we don’t actually see these play out on the stage. Similarly, very little internal struggle precedes their decision to be together. They embrace their feelings relatively quickly and their ‘coming out’ to the other characters is met largely with acceptance and love. The decision to underplay the ‘adversity’ aspect, frames their sexuality as one of many moments of self-discovery experienced by each of the characters.
Beautiful Thing © Michael Lidbetter
Mama Cass-obsessed Leah (Zaraah Abrahams) and the well-meaning but hapless artist Tony (Oliver Farnworth) are arguably the ‘clowns’ of the piece, characterised by lines like Tony’s philosophical “What’s a place? It’s somewhere where… you know… shit happens”, as well as their sometimes outrageous costumes. Both actors offer strong and very entertaining supporting performances.
Jamie’s mum Sandra (Suranne Jones) is arguably the most complex personality of the piece. Balancing work and romance, whilst acting as a flawed but loving maternal figure, not only to Jamie but at times to all the characters, Jones subtly portrays the struggle of balancing these conflicting roles, whilst maintaining a tough and unshakable exterior.
A few set pieces are used to creatively transform the space from the flats’ exterior, to Jamie’s bedroom and back again. Lighting shifts the audience’s focus as we move between locations and set changes are accompanied by playful music, including pop songs and even a nod towards The Sound of Music, perfectly suiting the tone of the piece.
For me, the most unusual part of this theatrical experience, was the fact that I was of course watching it online. Whilst there is no way to replicate the atmosphere of being in an auditorium and seeing a production performed live, I still found the experience thoroughly engaging. Digital ‘theatergoers’ could definitely increase the immersion by dimming the lights and perhaps hooking up to a larger screen, but even when viewed on a laptop, as I did, the feeling of theatre was still present, albeit at a distance. The filming also afforded me a closer look at certain moments, which I wouldn’t have otherwise experienced.
I wouldn’t say that watching via a screen is a substitute for the ‘real thing’ but it certainly helps to bridge the gap, whilst theatres are closed. It might also be a nice way to re-watch something you’ve enjoyed live, for a slightly different experience. Beautiful Thing itself is funny, sad and ultimately heart-warming, with great acting. If you don’t mind some strong language, it’ll bring a smile to your face - whether you watch it on stage or on screen.