The Boy at the Back of the Class
★★★★☆ Vibrant
Festival Theatre: Thu 19 – Sat 21 Mar 2026
Review by Hugh Simpson
Full of vitality, humour and compassion, The Boy at the Back of the Class at the Festival Theatre to Saturday is a thoroughly necessary production.
Onjali Q. Raúf’s successful book for children has been adapted by Nick Ahad for the Children’s Theatre Partnership and the Rose Theatre Kingston. It tells of a class of nine-year-olds which has a new member – Ahmet, a Kurdish refugee from Syria who can’t speak English.
Alexa and her friends try to befriend him, despite resistance from the class bully and from unwelcoming figures both inside and outside the school.
Sasha Desouza-Willock (Alexa), Jonny Warr (Tom), Abdul-Malik Janneh (Michael) and Petra Joan-Athene Josie). Pic: Manuel Harlan.
The story may not be not the most original or the most nuanced, but its energy and empathy are immediately apparent. In the current climate, when what once might have been regarded as blatant racism seems to be accepted as everyday political discourse, and indiscriminate bombing of schools is celebrated, the message is even more important than when the book was published in 2018, or even in 2024 when the play was first performed.
There may be quibbles about the way the children and the school are presented, but most of this is immediately recognisable and utterly convincing to anyone with experience of the issues. This is both necessarily sad and surprisingly funny, and the production is very well suited for its intended audience of families and groups of children of 7+. Many older people, however, will get a great deal from it (and may perhaps be the ones who need to see it most).
extremely well paced
The adaptation and the direction of Monique Touko are extremely well paced, although occasionally fall into the old trap of telling rather than showing. This may be unavoidable, as some parts (such as Ahmet’s narrative about his journey to Britain) are harrowing enough as they are. There are also moments where it does drag a little, with the second half in particular comparatively lacking in dramatic cohesion.
Serkan Avlik (Ahmet) and Max Jordan (Brendan the Bully) with Abdul-Malik Janneh, Sasha Desouza-Willock and Petra Joan-Athene. Pic Manuel Harlan.
Some of the more theatrical flourishes are extremely impressive, however, and often linked to Lily Arnold’s beautifully versatile design, such as the opening depiction of a billowing sea. Ryan Day’s lighting and Giles Thomas’s sound also supply the appropriate vibrancy.
There’s an elegant balance between larger political issues and smaller, more human interactions, which once again is down to Touko’s sensitive direction as well as the performances of the cast, who double up (and more) with skill.
magnetic
Too often, having adults playing such young characters can come across as awkward and annoying, but here it works brilliantly. Sasha Desouza-Willock is magnetic as Alexa, with very strong support from Petra Joan-Athene, Abdul-Malik Janneh and Jonny Warr as the members of her friendship group, the self-styled ‘A-Team’. Warr, in particular, does not have a single second where you could ever believe he wasn’t really nine.
Fedrat Sadat, Natasha Lewis, Serkan Avlik and Eleanor Patel. Pic Manuel Harlan.
Serkan Avlik is utterly convincing as Ahmet. When he steps out of the background to take ownership of his own story, it is a moment of pure theatre, involving the audience to just the right degree.
Natasha Lewis is commanding as both Alexa’s teacher and her mother, with special mentions for two performers making their professional debuts in this production. One is Max Jordan, horribly credible as the school bully (and the father from whom he has learned his racism), and the other is the comically adaptable Evie Weldon.
highly satisfying
Sometimes there is a production whose heart is so obviously in the right place that it is a disappointment that it does not measure up theatrically. This is undoubtedly not the case with this funny, poignant, challenging and highly satisfying production.
Running time: Two hours (including one interval).
Festival Theatre, 13/29 Nicholson Street, EH8 9FT
Thursday 19 – Saturday 21 March 2026
Daily at 7.30 pm; Matinees Thurs, Sat at 2.30 pm
Tickets and details: Book here.
Tour dates: https://theboyatthebackoftheclass.co.uk
Full Cast of The Boy at the Back of the Class. Pic: Manuel Harlan
ENDS
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