Boys - Soho Theatre

Soho Theatre, London

Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - Saturday, June 16, 2012

A World Premiere by Ella Hickson

FOUR STARS - Sunday Times, Financial Times, Independent, Time Out, WhatsOnStage

A HighTide Festival Theatre / Nuffield Theatre Southampton / Headlong Production

What would you do if the look in some old guy’s face told you that being young was as good as it ever gets?

Overview

It’s finals day for the Class of 2011. Benny, Mack, Timp and Cam are due out of their five bedroom flat tomorrow morning: five bedrooms, five chairs, four boys - and one hell of a party.

Stepping into a world that doesn’t want them, these boys start to wonder whether there’s any point in getting any older. How will they find the fight to make it as adults? Tonight marks the end of an era. It’s hot. And there’ll be girls. Predict a riot.

Evening Standard Award nominee Ella Hickson is an outstanding new talent, insightful about the challenges facing her generation and writing with real flair. Ella’s short, PMQ, was performed at the 2011 HighTide Festival and her play GIFT featured in Headlong’s Decade.

Robert Icke, Associate Director at Headlong and Rupert Goold’s collaborator on Decade, directs. Boys is the first co-production between HighTide Festival Theatre, The Nuffield and Headlong who each have a particular commitment to producing bold new writing. Boys tours to the Soho Theatre (30 May - 16 June).

Running time: 2 hours 30 mins

Production Sponsored by Ingenuious Media and Peter Wilson

Cast/Creative

Written by Ella Hickson

Directed by Robert Icke

Design by Chloe Lamford

Lighting by Michael Nabarro

Sound and Music by Tom Mills

Assistant Direction by Melanie Spencer

Casting by Camilla Evans

Cast Samuel Edward Cook, Alison O’Donnell, Danny Kirrane, Lorn Macdonald, Tom Mothersdale, Eve Ponsonby

	Samuel Edward Cook has just graduated from RADA. This is his professional stage debuet.
	Alison O’Donnell’s credits include My Romantic History (Traverse/Bush) and Eigengrau (Bush).
	Danny Kirrane’s credits include Jez Butterworth’s smash hit Jerusalem (Royal Court/West End/Broadway) and The History Boys (West End).
	Lorn Macdonald’s credits in his native Scotland include work for the Traverse Theatre and National Theatre of Scotland.
	Tom Mothersdale’s credits include Romeo and Juliet for Headlong and A Thousand Stars Explode in the Sky for the Lyric Hammersmith.
	Eve Ponsonby’s credits include The Children’s Hour in the West End starring Kiera Knightly.

Reviews

I have to start by saying that this play is stunning. Sarah Nutland, The Public Reviews, FIVE STARS

A promising play that catches a febrile atmosphere and the curious mournfulness of passing youth. Sarah Hemming, Financial Times FOUR STARS

Ella Hickson’s Boys is a substantial achievement. David Jays, Sunday Times, FOUR STARS

Ella Hickson’s compelling new play is no less ambitious than her earlier work but it is bigger in scale if not sweep, and more determined than ever to explore what it is to be young in the world today. Natasha Tripney, The Stage

Tensions rise in a play that both powerfully captures the mood of a generation and addresses permanent truths with exhilarating flair. Paul Taylor, The Independent, FOUR STARS

Hickson’s writing bubbles with ideas and nice insights.... The cast is impressively vigorous. Henry Hitchings, The Evening Standard

Fearless emotional immediacy and tight comic timing. Honour Bayes, Time Out, FOUR STARS

Hickson is too perceptive a writer and too astute a dramatist to play one string when she has a whole violin. Aleks Sierz, The Arts Desk

Boys is invigorating, and brilliantly played... What an exciting writer Ella Hickson is. Dominic Maxwell, The Times

Ella Hickson’s fierce and funny Boys is the strongest indication yet of her emergent talent. Michael Coveney, WhatsOnStage, FOUR STARS

The range and sheer vitality of the writing is seriously enviable. David Benedict, Variety

Acutely observed and wickedly funny. Lyn Gardner, Guardian

Boys is a play that tries to do everything and very nearly succeeds. Imogen Saare, A Younger Theatre

Boys is an absolute heart-pounding triumph of a play. What's On The Fringe FIVE STARS