Stockroom and Liverpool’s Royal Court to present stage adaptation of James Graham’s BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF
40 years after Alan Bleasdale’s television series Boys From The Blackstuff was essential viewing, Stockroom and Liverpool’s Royal Court have announced a new stage adaptation, written by James Graham, which will premiere from 15 September-28 October 2023.
It tells the story of Chrissie, Loggo, George, Dixie and Yosser, living in 1980’s Liverpool, working hard and providing for their families. But with limited work available and little money coming in, the lads have to play the game. They have to work harder, work longer, spend less, and buy cheaper all whilst trying to see if they can laugh along the way.
Alan Bleasdale said: “Almost all of my stage plays are set in one location and using real time. The one attempt I made to use to multiple characters and multiple sets and the passage of time was a disaster. So, when the idea of the stage version of the series was suggested with James Graham as the writer I just thought, I don’t know how to do it. But James does. While I’m pleased that the work is still well regarded, the biggest sadness for me is that in the forty years since I wrote Boys from the Blackstuff, we might have hoped that things would get better. But they haven’t. Have they?”
James Graham added: “Alan Bleasdale is one of the reasons I become a writer. Watching his work as I was growing up, hearing those voices, and seeing those worlds, meant a lot to someone from my background. I could never have dared dream that years later I would be working with him, and on is most famous, heart-breaking, hilarious pieces. But Alan is the most generous and supportive of collaborators and it’s been one of the honours of my writing life thus far to work on this show.”
The production will be directed by Stockroom Artistic Director, Kate Wasserberg, with further creatives to be announced.
