Theatre / Reviews
Review: The Boy at the Back of the Class, Bristol Old Vic – ‘A masterclass in accessible, important theatre; we need more plays like this’
The award-winning and hugely impactful 2018 debut from author and activist Onjali Q Raúf, The Boy at the Back of the Class tells the story of Ahmet – a nine-year old Syrian refugee displaced not only from his home country, but from his family, too.
While some of his newfound classmates offer him curiosity, compassion and friendship, he is also met with hostility by others – both children and adults – whose unwillingness to empathise with his experience evokes the all too familiar echoes of anti-immigration sentiment today.
First performed in 2024 at Kingston’s Rose Theatre, Nick Ahad’s stage adaptation is now back on tour in conjunction with the Children’s Theatre Partnership, and has just earned itself a deserved Olivier Award nomination.
“You can’t not tell the truth to a young audience”, says Ahad, describing how he brought Raúf’s text to life for the theatre, “but you have to be sensitive about how you do it.” And although it is laced with bags of humour and heart, this production never softens the central gut punch of Ahmet’s displacement and subsequent loss, or the prejudice he goes on to face.
Thoughtful and nuanced throughout, Raúf’s storytelling is all the more remarkable for its skill in introducing young audiences to an array of weighty themes through the lens of a child’s experience.
On stage, too, this balance of light and shade is deftly judged – enhanced by Lily Arnold’s smart set design, Kloé Dean’s choreography and playful use of light and music from Ryan Day and Giles Thomas.
Compelling in the central role of Ahmet, Serkan Avlik leads an impressive and energetic young ensemble, many of whom are relatively early career actors.
Bristol Old Vic Theatre School graduate Petra Joan-Athene shines as the exuberant and football-loving Josie, and former Made in Bristol member Evie Weldon makes a confident professional debut as the entitled narcissist, Clarissa. Natasha Lewis exudes warmth, wisdom and security in her dual roles of Mum (to Alexa) and the Year 5 class teacher, Mrs Khan.
If we strip all the complexities away, underpinning all of the play’s ideas is the singular importance and vitality of human connection. Arguably, it’s an impulse that should never be more instinctive than during the presumed innocence of childhood – a time before learned intolerance, injustice or a lack of understanding can be allowed to sow division. Ahmet, of course, has not enjoyed that privilege.
Our narrator, Alexa (beautifully acted by Sasha Desouza-Willock) has also endured significant hardship, and well before her time. The bereavement that she has experienced is treated with an emotional honesty in the play that ultimately brings her and her friends closer together. “Ahmet is just like us”, she concludes.
And there is also real power in the straightforward way in which she explains how losing her dad has affected her. “I’m ok now”, she says. “Well, not ok, but I’m ok that I’m not ok and I don’t mind that it makes me different…”.
The earnest naivety of the children’s plan to help reunite Ahmet with his family is perhaps central to why this story has met with such an incredible reception, particularly with younger readers and audiences.
On press night, the crowd was notable for the large proportion of children and young people packing out the Bristol Old Vic, cheering their approval – my own son among them.
The Boy at the Back of the Class is a masterclass in accessible, important theatre that resonates with so many contemporary concerns, and shows us the enduring strength and safety to be found within our shared humanity. We need more plays like this.
The Boy at the Back of the Class (age recommendation 7+) is at Bristol Old Vic on March 31-April 4; times vary. For ticket availability, check www.bristololdvic.org.uk.
All photos: Manuel Harlan
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