The Boy At The Back Of The Class
Cambridge Arts Theatre
12th March 2024
If you’re looking to introduce your youngsters to the wonderful world of theatre, but perhaps something a little different to the usual Disney/David Walliams fare, new play ‘The Boy At The Back Of The Class’ could be worth your consideration. The comedy drama, based on Onjali Q Rauf’s popular children’s novel, is a world away from silly jokes and singing sidekicks, instead tackling the delicate subject of refugees for a young audience. Told through a child’s perspective without shying away from the tricky questions, the play is set to get your little ones thinking about the world around them, and runs this week at the Cambridge Arts Theatre.
Best friend trio Alexa (Sasha Desouza-Willok), Michael (Abdul-Malik Janneh) and Tom (Gordon Millar) do everything together, and find themselves curious when a new boy unexpectedly joins their class. Their teacher Miss Khan (Priya Davdra) explains that 9-year-old Ahmet (Farshid Rokey) has travelled a long way and asks them all to make him feel welcome without asking him too many questions, as he doesn’t speak English. Ahmet faces hostility from school bully Brendan (Joe McNamara) and even from some of the teaching staff, and as Alexa and her friends try to learn more about Ahmet, they discover what he’s been through, what he left behind, and the uncertainty of his future.
While there’s an undeniably feather-light touch to the play’s approach to its subject matter, its focus on its characters and their relationships make ‘The Boy At The Back Of The Class’ a sweet and endearing watch. It wisely doesn’t try to solve any of the questions it asks, instead presenting itself as a platform to simply open the discussion, and help children begin to learn what’s going on in the world around them. Although very safe and sanitised in its ideas, the piece feels incredibly human, making hugely positive comments around how the differences in all of us aren’t anything to be afraid of, despite what human nature often reverts to. A key exchange in the play helps children to understand that being called “weird” just means “different”, which is the opposite of “usual”, which is another word for “boring”, and it’s this wholesome approach which director Monique Touko infuses the play with throughout. Touko puts the group’s friendship above all else, framed with narration from Alexa (the excellent Sasha Desouza-Willok), along with later internal dialogue from Ahmet which give the audience an exclusive insight into Ahmet’s perspective which even his classmates don’t see.
The show comes with warnings for mentions of xenophobia and racism, and while these are present, Touko and adaptor Nick Ahad use a tactful and gentle approach which is enough to raise the points without alarm or fear. The show is overarchingly fun and bright, from its tone and outlook to its visuals; Lily Arnold’s playground-like set gives the children plenty to run around on and swing from while also allowing some inventive transitions and movement throughout, and there some fun lighting and sound design in the mix too (Ryan Day and Giles Thomas).
Adults performing as children can so often border on cringeworthy, but this cast largely avoids that. Desouza-Willok is unquestionably the real heart of the show, who’s optimism and innocence is wonderful to watch, as are her moments of heartbreak. Gordon Millar is also a lot of fun as Tom, seemingly bursting with a Tigger-like energy that children will love. Priya Davdra provides the grounding emotional support as both Alexa’s mother and kind-hearted teacher Miss Khan, and is excellent in both roles.
‘The Boy At The Back Of The Class’ is a story for the outsider in all of us who feels like they never really fit in, but with its roots in the very real world that children need to be told about. It’s fantastic that plays are being created for children to help them understand that the world isn’t always shiny and bright, and that above all else, kindness and family matter more than all of the differences that make us who we are. Beautifully told with characters to root for, ‘The Boy At The Back Of The Class’ likeably light and whimsical touch makes for a gently entertaining watch, while giving the youngsters plenty to think about.
‘The Boy At The Back Of The Class’ runs at Cambridge Arts Theatre until Saturday 16th March 2024, before continuing on its UK tour.
Performance runtime 2 hours 5 minutes including interval.
