What's happened
The stage adaptation of 'Boys from the Blackstuff' by James Graham receives mixed reviews.
Why it matters
The stage adaptation of 'Boys from the Blackstuff' is significant as it brings a classic TV series to the stage and explores the impact of unemployment and Thatcherism on working-class individuals.
What the papers say
The Guardian says the adaptation cleverly overlays the liturgy of a funeral mass with the banal questions of the dole office, highlighting the imprisonment of the characters by language. The Times praises the trimming and restructuring of the original series but feels the stage adaptation lacks impact. The Guardian also mentions the powerful performance of Andrew Schofield as George Malone, the one uncomplicatedly good character in the series.
How we got here
The stage adaptation of 'Boys from the Blackstuff' is based on the 1982 TV series by Alan Bleasdale, which explores the effects of unemployment and Thatcherism on working-class individuals in Liverpool.
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