30th anniversary production of Beautiful Thing is a heartwarming and special show – review
Beautiful Thing is a play that has earned its place in the queer canon of theatre and from this 30th anniversary revival it’s easy to see why.
It truly is a rare and special show; while we see a lot of queer theatre, we don’t often see plays as heartwarming and uplifting as this one.
We’ve reviewed countless LGBTQ+ shows over the years and have seen similar themes emerging – HIV/AIDS stories, or working through shame or trauma – and while these are of course important issues that need a spotlight shone on them, there are other stories to be told and Beautiful Thing is one to be celebrated.
For those unfamiliar with Jonathan Harvey’s seminal work, it focuses on the lives of gay teenagers Jamie (Rilwan Abiola Owokoniran) and Ste (Raphael Akuwudike), who are neighbours on a council estate in Thamesmead.
