The Boy At The Back Of The Class: Warm And Wonderful

The Boy at the back of the class opened at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre last night and delighted audiences of all ages with its warm and wonderful story of hope and friendship. Based on the award winning children’s book by Onjali Rauf, this is a story of a refugee boy from Syria, told through both his eyes, and the eyes of the new friends he makes.

Ahmet is the new boy in school, the boy at the back of the class. He speaks no English and is quiet and withdrawn, a mystery to the other kids in class, and a new target for class bully Brendan. Alexa, a classmate who recently lost her father, overhears some parents talking about Ahmet, mentioning he is a refugee in racist disparaging terms,  and asks her mother to explain what this means. She decides to befriend Ahmet with her group of friends Tom, Michael and Josie. But when the class discover the truth about what Ahmet has really been through, and that his parents have not yet been able to get to safety in the UK, they hatch an audacious plan to reunite the family.

The ensemble cast are brilliant, taking on many roles with cleverness and aplomb. Farshid Rokey will break your heart as Ahmet showing all the agony of a little boy who has grown up with the suffering that no child should ever face. He is matched beautifully by the kind, gentle Alexa, Sasha Desouza Willock, also scarred from the loss of her dad, but glowing through sheer positivity she brings to each day. Abdul-Malik Jennen as Michael, Petraeus Joan Athene as Josie and Gordon Millar as Tom nicely round out the group, bringing real exuberance and charm to their roles. Joe Mcnamera as Brendan is suitably nasty as the bully of the piece, whilst Priya Dadra, Megan Grech, Adam Seridji and Zoe Zak perform a range of roles with aplomb.

The beauty of this story is that it tells of a very current and real situation through the eyes of innocent children. This delights the younger members of the audience and yet totally resonates poignantly with the adults too.

The Boy at the back of the class is gorgeous, an ultimately heartwarming tale that is performed by a winning cast. Just lovely.

The boy at the back of the class

Until 20th April

Click here for ticket information

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