Time stood still as the harrowing backdrop of smashed glass and shooting flames during the Toxteth riots kicked off the stage adaption of Alan Bleasdale’s iconic drama Boys from the Blackstuff.

The last 44 years melted away as I recalled seeing the riots, sparked by a frenzy of frustration and hopelessness, while driving through the city.

Remembering the wider context of Thatcher’s 1980’s era and the seismic chasms between the want-for-nothing yuppies and the downtrodden, despairing ‘have nots’, is key.

Gritty, compelling, and disturbing, this is a play of two halves in more than the literal sense.

The quickfire scouse banter of the gang Chrissie, Loggo, George, Dixie and Yosser - whether at the dole office or doing a ‘foreigner’ flows freely.

Struggling to find tarmac laying jobs, they battle daily for survival in a world where unemployment rocketed from one million in the 1970s to an unprecedented three million.

Emotions run high and anger and despair is exacerbated by undercover social security workers, dubbed ‘snitchers’ who make their lives even more miserable by spying on the men and their families with the aim of prosecuting them.

As the prospect of work diminishes, Yosser’s famous catchphrase ‘Gizza Job, I can do that Go on, gizzit’ to anyone who listens becomes more desperate.

Despite the tribulations an element of hope, while tinged with despair, initially prevails.

However, any semblance of optimism dissipates as the gang is beset by tragedies such as George’s treasured son Snowy, a proud plasterer who plunges to his death trying to escape from the ‘snitcher’ Moss.

A total lack of understanding and empathy of the men’s plight from those sheltered from the economic storm is nowhere better illustrated than at Snowy’s funeral when mourners rage at the priest’s cold, emotionless incantations.

The acting, as the men’s beleaguered circumstances take their toll, is sensational. Bernard Hill, as Yosser in the original Alan Bleasdale’s 1982 TV series is a tough act to follow and Jay Johnson’s Yosser, who loses his wife, children and his mind, is outstanding.

Ged McKenna as the multi-faceted, caring and heartbroken George, and Mark Womack as the resilient Dixie are exceptional while George Caple (Chrissie), Jurell Carter (Loggo) and Reiss Barber (Snowy) pack a punch.

Amber Blease as Angie, Sian Polhill-Thomas as the formidable Ms Sutcliffe and Jamis Peacock (Moss) are tremendous while Sean Kingsley smashes it as the tough Malloy.

Kate Wasserberg superbly directs James Graham’s adaptation of Bleasdale’s BAFTA award-winning TV series.

Amy Jane Cook’s sets are truly authentic, as crate-laden docks and a crane suspended above a raging River Mersey serve as a cruel reminder of the hardship from which there is no escape.

The show evoked a gamut of emotions and, while the economic tide may have turned since the 1980s, the emotional scars continue to leave their mark.

Boys from the Blackstuff plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal until Saturday May 24, 2025. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or the Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

For information on forthcoming UK productions in areas including Doncaster, visit this link