★★★

“Whilst moving, the piece lacks dramatic elements and at times feels more like a lecture more than a theatrical work”

Laughing Boy is a piece of Political Protest Theatre, which is theatre that arises from injustice and makes it clear it is protesting against it. It tells the true story of Connor or ‘LB’, a learning disabled young man with epilepsy who died as a result of negligence and systemic faults in his care in 2013. His family campaigned and gave testimony as part of a lengthy legal battle. Written and Directed by Stephen Urwin, Laughing Boy is an adaptation of Sara Ryan’s book ‘Justice for Laughing Boy’. The play uses video projection (Matt Powell) to display real reports and quotes from the legal case along with family footage .

Connor’s story is told by his family, primarily his mother Sara (Janie Dee), an Oxford academic who delivers details of Connor’s death and the parties involved with fury and wit. Her love for Connor burns through the play as she unapologetically rips into the architects of the family’s tragedy. In supporting roles are husband and father Rich (Forbes Masson), brothers Owen (Lee Braithwaite), Will, (Charlie Ives), Tom (Daniel Rainford) and sister (Molly Osborne). Connor (Alfie Friedman) sits expectantly, asking his mother what happened to him as his family chip in to parody the various uncaring faces. The cast portray a loving family who undergo gaslighting, victim-blaming and bureaucracy in the search of answers. We fall in love with Connor and as the family affectionately discuss him. I found myself thinking of the countless people and their families in my life who rely on services that failed Connor and felt their pain.

As far as stories go, Laughing Boy is a nightmare of devasting grief brought to life. It is told with the factual precision of an Oxford academic with tweets, reports and blog posts dissecting the events and circumstances of Connor’s death. As compelling as the story is, narratively it is anti-climactic and leans into telling us what happened instead of showing. It is mainly from Sara’s perspective despite Connor and other family remaining on stage throughout. Sara explains her actions, including how the online campaign negatively affected the court case, leaving no room for any conjecture or doubt. Nurses, social workers, support staff, defence lawyers and headteachers are painted as bleak, sarcastic and one-dimensional by the supporting cast, with some humour injected in their caricatured portrayal. At points it felt like a Panorama documentary interspersed with heart-breaking input from Connor as he questions where he is from beyond the grave. The play itself is referenced, as Sara remarks at how far the campaign has come.

The set (Simon Higlett) is simple and plain; four wooden chairs and a white curved cyclorama, evoking the austere environment of Slade House and also allowing the stage to be used for detailed projections . The use of the cast reflects this simplicity, miming props and setting, always returning to the base of family as they comfort each other in between impersonating other characters. Whilst moving, the piece lacks dramatic elements and at times feels more like a lecture more than a theatrical work. It serves its purpose at being informative and celebrating Connor as well as the success of the family’s campaign for justice. Laughing Boy calls to action on behalf of all who suffer as a result of underfunded disability services.

THE LONELY LONDONERS at Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★★

“an energetic and stylish play that could easily become a classic”

Adapted by esteemed British playwright Roy Williams, The Lonely Londoners at the Jermyn Street Theatre is the first staging of British-Trinidadian Sam Selvon’s 1956 novel. It’s somewhat surprising that the material hasn’t been adapted before, given the popularity of Windrush stories like Andrea Levy’s Small Island, adapted for the small screen in 2009 and staged at the National Theatre in 2019. That being said, it’s a pleasure to see the material in Williams’ hands with a script full of clever dialogue and a plot that, through the exploration of individual stories, allows for variety and nuance that creates a sophisticated, textural piece.

The drama centres around Moses Aloetta, Gamba Cole, a charismatic and well-connected Caribbean emigré with a cigarette surgically attached to his hand as he and his friends try to make their way in London. We meet the happy-go-lucky Big City, Gilbert Kyem Jnr, full of malapropisms based on London’s streets and boroughs, eager to put on a dance for the community. There’s Lewis, Tobi Bakare, recently out of work and worried about the arrival of his wife Agnes, Shannon Hayes, and mother, Carol Moses. And finally Henry ‘Galahad’ Oliver, fresh off the boat train with nothing but his pyjamas and toothbrush ready to take London by storm. Moses connects and grounds the group but is haunted by the image of the love he left behind in Trinidad. As the group gain experience of the city and its aggressive inhabitants, fear creeps in that this could all end in ruin. Fortunately, whilst the end does indeed bring sadness for some, it is not wholly an unhappy ending.

Performances from the whole cast are impeccable, each demonstrating an impressive emotional range in under two hours. The men are all degrees of cheeky and charming, lost and lonesome, and aggressive and angry. The women display similar range, gleeful at their small triumphs and despairing of the challenges they face. This is perhaps most dramatically exemplified by Romario Simpson as Galahad as we see his realisation from wide-eyed new arrival to a literally battered and bruised shell – his monologue denouncing the English for their unchecked racism is a powerful performance. It’s also worth praising the authentic Caribbean accents, coached to perfection by Aundrea Fudge.

There are, however, some odd directorial choices which break the drama. The dialogue is so rich that there are no ambiguities – these characters are talking from the heart at all times and we understand their fears, hopes and frustrations through what they say. Director Ebenezer Bamgboye’s choice to also include elements of physical theatre to show, for example, how the men support each other when the going gets tough is not necessary; we have already heard it.

On the other hand, the inclusion of contemporary music of black origin throughout the piece (Protoje’s ‘Who Knows’ beautifully sung live by Aimee Powell, a couple of Michael Kiwanuka tracks and more) subtly reminds you that, whilst this is a historical drama, the themes and experiences portrayed are, unfortunately, not resigned to history books.

Lighting by Elliot Griggs enhances the drama – whether through slow fade-ins that subtly draw your attention across the stage away from the action, or through dramatic bursts of light that ignite a fight. There is also clever use of flash bulbs on the back of the stage which are programmed to situate scenes by their postcodes, or show a graphic image which add fun and interest to the studio theatre.

The Lonely Londoners is an energetic and stylish play that could easily become a classic just like its source material. Although speaking to a specific moment in time, it’s themes of migration, racism and isolation resonate across the years. But it is the hopeful message of friendship and resilience, particularly through humour, that set this show apart and make it an enjoyable as well as educational watch.

LAUGHING BOY at Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★

“Whilst moving, the piece lacks dramatic elements and at times feels more like a lecture more than a theatrical work”

LAUGHING BOY at Jermyn Street Theatre

Reviewed on 1st May 2024

by Jessica Potts

Photography by Alex Brenner

Previously reviewed at this venue:

LAUGHING BOY

LAUGHING BOY

THE LONELY LONDONERS at Jermyn Street Theatre

★★★★

“an energetic and stylish play that could easily become a classic”