We're so excited to receive our first set of reviews from Sheffield Theatres' Young Reviewers.
Read what they thought about The Boy at the Back of the Class.
"A great play for kids and adults alike"
Firstly, the costumes were great, simplistic but impactful. They were really great especially worn by the incredible cast who performed the play perfectly! The set was great and I loved how there was a school gym-like background that the performers hopped through when their characters were introduced. The music at the start and end was a great choice in song which was very impactful and made the show very emotional. The lighting, in my opinion, was spot on and made the play extremely enjoyable with the different colours. The lights also represented what scene type it was, from emotional to humorous.
As a fan of the book the performance really reflected it well. The story of a young refugee boy learning to find a new, more safe, life in England is one that many can learn from.It is a great play for kids and adults alike to learn from and also the consequences of bullying during a hard time for someone. The show made me feel a variety and range of emotions. One minute me and the audience were laughing our heads off! And the next a tear slowly streaming down my face.
My favourite part of the show was without a doubt the introduction scene. It had the perfect amount of comedy and introduced the characters in a way like we had known them for forever. Overall, I would 100% recommend this play to anyone! It is perfect for families and even people flying solo who want a good laugh and an emotional journey too. My night watching the show was incredible and I had a great time enjoying the amazing cast work together to create a fabulous piece for its audience.
Review by Freddie Beau Cooper
"Captivated audiences of all ages"
The Boy at the Back of the Class was a heartwarming and uplifting story. A play about activism and friendship that teaches young children the importance of being kind to others in an easy to understand and funny show with elements of sincerity. The simple set design was so powerful in creating the story and the fact that one piece of apparatus could be turned into so many things was amazing to watch. The characterization and storytelling from the characters captivated audiences of all ages and the show had something for everyone, so adults didn’t leave feeling bored.
I thought the children heading to London to speak to the Queen perfectly displayed the innocence that children have and also showed them how important it is to stand up for what is right for yourself and others, who may not have the confidence to do it themselves. Overall, I would recommend The Boy at the Back of the Class to families and people of all ages looking for a heartwarming and uplifting show that portrays a very important message
Review by Alana Habergham-Rice
"So funny and heartwarming"
The Boy at the Back of the Class was so good. I loved it. The lighting was good. The sound was good, and I was just speechless after it. I recommend it to kids and adults. Even if you cannot see, there are pillows to get a better view. Although it can get a bit loud but still good, it was so funny and heartwarming. It was probably the best play I have ever seen! My favorite part was when Ahmet said this is my story; it was so powerful.
I loved the costumes, so funny! They did such a good job on the voices for the different scenes like sad or happy. It was so cool how the back ground changed. I also loved how there’s a circle in the back ground, and when time went by it would move. In my opinion it was a really good show! And I hope others agree too.
Review by Martha Hobbs
"I would thoroughly recommend this play"
The Boy at the Back of the Class is a great example of our current world and how society accepts change. The story follows a group of school children and how they accept the new boy with a difficult past as one of their own. The adult actors portraying the roles of the children were believable as youngsters and the storyline of the play really tugs at the heart strings. The staging looked just like my old school and reminded me of how I used to play when I was younger on the big climbing frames in the hall.
I enjoyed the entire play and my favourite part was when Ahmet was telling the story of his past and each picture helped to show just what he had been through. I would thoroughly recommend this play for others to watch as it has inspired me to learn about others and know their stories.
Review by Maisie Jackson
"One of the best shows I have ever watched"
I thought this was an amazing show because of the humour and heartwarming story. Its the perfect family show for children aged 6+, both heartwarming and upsetting, it told the story of a refugee boy who arrived in England in a boat and didn’t know where his family were. I liked the set design and how it was the same throughout, but with lighting, sounds and signs it was easy to understand where the characters were and what was happening. All the Characters had their own personality, I really enjoyed seeing how all the characters were so different and how they each reacted to the new boy in class.
Most importantly to me, I loved the message that “kindness is most Powerful of all”, the story line is very powerful and I would say that this is one of the best shows I have ever watched, 10/10, would highly recommend.
Review by Ava Rothwell
"I enjoyed it very much"
From my point of view, The Boy at the Back of the Class is an emotional yet humorous performance to watch. I really love how all the characters are introduced with their funny personalities. It got very emotional to watch though later. Later in the story, it introduces refugees in a way that is understandable for young a young audience. There are some heart pumping scenes at some point, but its still really exciting to watch. The Boy at the Back of the Class was a really good performance to watch and I enjoyed it very much. I would recommend for anyone my age.
Review by Ed Smith-Williams
"A brilliant production"
The Boy at the Back of the Class is a brilliant production about a refugee from Syria who arrives at school one day. When they find out that he might never see his family again, his friends hatch a daring plan to find them. The main characters are Ahmed, Josie, Alexa, Tom and Michael. My favourite character is Alexa because I like how positive she is about being different. I thought the music was excellent and fitted with what was happening in the play really well. The props looked very realistic and helped add excitement to the scenes.
I enjoyed the fact that it was very emotional -parts of it were extremely funny yet others were quite sad. My favourite part was the ending because I thought it brought everything together perfectly. I would definitely recommend this production, ten out of ten.
Review by Leila Thyne
"5 Stars!"
The Boy at the Back of the Class was amazing! I have never met a refugee, but it made me think how I would feel if I met a refugee and how they would feel. My favourite part was when Alexa offered Ahmet a lemon sweet because I thought it was really funny. I would recommend it to people aged 7-15. It helps show how you should respect everyone and that differences are good.
The set was simple but I liked they way they made small changes to show the different scenes, like when they used the blue fabric to show the sea. The music was really good especially for people my age. The actors body language and the way they said the lines really showed us how they felt, they were all brilliant.
5 stars!
Review by William Turnbull
