★★★★★

“Raynor and Yorke have deeply electric acting chemistry”

‘Bad Lads’ by Graeae Productions, in association with Live Theatre, is a powerful, understated, and captivating production exploring the real story of the young men held at Medomsley Youth Detention Centre in County Durham during the 1980s. Writer Mike Kenny presents a short, sharp, shock of a piece which exploring a convening of protagonist Jackie’s present and younger self and his time spent at Medomsley, alongside strongly integrated BSL interpretation. Created from a story by Jimmy Coffey, and testimonies from boys who were witness to and victims of large-scale abuse, ‘Bad Lads’ uniquely and boldly shares a heart-breaking story of tragic injustice and oppression.

Set between the present day and the thick of the Thatcher government’s “short, sharp, shock” policy which was advertised as a method of correcting defiant and wayward boys, ‘Bad Lads’ movingly captures the dark underbelly of institutional silence, corruption, and abuse. Jenny Sealey’s direction is breath-takingly simple, effect, and stark. Her direction pairs excellently with the straight-forward magic of Kenny’s script. Their work feels both straight-to-the-point yet never spoon-feeding, asking deeply what it takes to speak up against abuse after decades of being silenced.

A conversation between the “three Jackies”, the script tightly sifts through a hard-to-reckon past, and envisions a chilling sentence endured by young Jackie. As Danny Raynor, playing older Jackie, pieces together the puzzle of his abuse, Robin Paley Yorke, playing his younger counterpart, meets him with devastatingly knowing glances as he lives through their shared trauma. Raynor and Yorke have deeply electric acting chemistry, overlaying their cyclical dialogue and portraying a convincing performance of the same man changed by years of repressing his very difficult past. Their shared boyish humour, as well as their pain, fuels a constantly riveting performance. The show gorgeously explores an intergenerational conversation with the self, from the perspective of someone who had endured abuse at Medomsley, re-awakened by police enquires four decades on.

Craig Painting’s BSL interpretation and movement is beyond staggering. The expressiveness and deep emotion conveyed without a moment’s rest ties the connection between Yorke and Raynor together so wholly. The trio have the audience hanging on their every potent word and gesture, as they sink into the discomfort and trauma of the show’s revelations. Jacob Coleman’s movement direction consistently sheds light the horrors of the Medomsley boy’s experiences without overstepping into disrespect, leading with simplicity, clarity, and the strong stage presence of the three actors to speak for themselves. Motifs sink their teeth into the audience’s imagination and solidify perfectly as Coleman lets ambiguity and carefully considered gesture deliver the loud cry for justice the piece seeks to evoke. Aided by Virginie Taylor’s effective and engaging captions and video design, ‘Bad Lads’ provides an accessible, striking, and resounding message of urgence to push for accountability and recognition.

The simple yet effective beauty of this show is supported massively by Lucía Sánchez’s lighting, and Roma Yagnik’s sound designs, which integrate hauntingly with the bare staging. Moments where additional set are aided by lighting and sound stand out so effectively because of sparing props, set, and additional technical elements. The technical features of ‘Bad Lads’ are close to perfection.

Alongside the forceful gut-punch of acting performances, direction, and technical cohesion, ‘Bad Lads’ also sets a commendable tone across the venue for signposting resources. The respectful messaging and handling of ‘Bad Lads’ challenging themes, set a poignantly high standard for audience care, as well as care for those the piece shares the overlooked and important story of. The whole team should be highly commended for their excellent vision, tenderness, and delivery.

DETENTION

Northern Stage

★★★½

“touching and urgent”

Setting the stage with a deep abyss-like space looming behind a protest banner which stitches together protest messaging now richly associated with the 1980s LGBTQ+ rights movement, from the start, ‘Detention’ by Gary Clarke looks to be an urgent call to action which negotiates an eerily close then and now of queer liberation. What unravels is a dance-led retelling of haunting stories of working-class queer folks’ experiences fighting against, and ultimately living under, Section 28.

The piece is set to cerebral and heart-pounding soundscapes and voice overs which collide with the Narrator, played by Lewey Hellewell, who provides context, facts, and rallying cries to different sequences. The narration mostly provides a necessary emotional and informative thread between the chronology of events and the evocative stories the piece uncovers, but at times feels very on the nose. Largely projected words reading ‘Aids’, as well as various slurs and phrases, also lack subtly across mostly mesmerising choreographic episodes. These heavy-handed projected words take the audience out of the emotion and spoon-feed what they most likely can deduce from the intricate movement and staging of the overall performance. Film projections of a juddery and vexed Thatcher, played by El Perry, and a heart-to-heart from a teacher (Sarah Squires) afraid of what coming out at work might result in, work for much more thought-through audio-visual aids. More integration of film, multi-media, and historical materials like newspaper headlines, banners, and photographs, could make for a much rawer patchwork of theatre seeking to tell queer histories. This, coupled with Nia Wood, Chris Copland, and Keir Martin’s excellent execution of sound and lighting design, would make for a much more serious tone.

Though powerful and emotional messages of resistance and struggle cut through the noise, unfortunately ‘Detention’ somewhat faulters at delivering the urgence and importance of spotlighting the community it is voicing. The gorgeously designed blue costuming (by Hannah Boothman) of the House of Lords sequence, combined with electrifyingly slick choreography performed by Alexandra Bierlaire, Gavin Coward, Mayowa Ogunnaike, Alex Gosmere, and Imogen Wright, and underscored by Hellewell’s chilling delivery of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric, highlights the real triumphs of what this piece can achieve. Furthermore, the almost teasing portrayal of demonised gay friendly children’s books also gave a fascinating angle to this part of Section 28’s harmful effects.

‘Detention’ does well to integrate LGBTQ+ Switchboard logbook stories into its narrative, carefully weaving the isolated, scared, and angry words of callers against a backdrop of tortured solo physical theatre. One drawback to these moments is the unwavering silence which each caller is met with, which perhaps draws a false message of inaction against vital listening and advice services. Further dialogue between or with call-handlers would provide a richer insight into the service’s history. It is also unfortunate that it seemed the only queer woman’s story represented through the Switchboard segments centred around motherhood and child custody. Enlightening further aspects of queer women’s struggles through Section 28, besides those relating to motherhood, would further enhance the show’s vision to tell an authentic story of a benchmark in queer British history.

Lastly, the inclusion of a local community cast affected by Section 28 in each place the piece is performed in is a beautiful aspect of ‘Detention’s’ mission. Community actors Steve Boodhun, Hedley Sugar-Wells, Tony Chapman-Wilson, Lindsay Nicholson, and Gary Short integrate brilliantly into the cast. The sincerity of stories and collaboration between the dancers and the community actors creates a touching and urgent driving home of the piece’s natural unifying message.

BAD LADS

Live Theatre

★★★★★

“Raynor and Yorke have deeply electric acting chemistry”

BAD LADS

Live Theatre then UK Tour continues

Reviewed on 7th October 2025

by Molly Knox

Photography by Von Fox

Previously reviewed at this venue:

BAD LADS

BAD LADS

BAD LADS

DETENTION

Northern Stage

★★★½

“touching and urgent”

DETENTION

Northern Stage

Reviewed on 16th September 2025

by Molly Knox

Photography by Joe Armitage

Previously reviewed by Molly:

DETENTION

DETENTION

DETENTION

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