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ED2011 4/5 Reviews ED2011 Theatre Reviews
Belt Up’s The Boy James (Belt Up Theatre in association with Jethro Compton Ltd)
By Andrew Latimer | Published on Wednesday 10 August 2011
Relationships and adulthood rarely simplify as they develop, and it can often be our fragile memories which stand firmer at the root of our emotions. As the audience is ushered and welcomed into a cushioned drawing-room, Jethro Compton embodies a young J.M. Barrie tracking his hushed Neverland adventures from quests with pirates to epic tales of strength and leadership. Playful innocence sets out to enchant before clashing hard against the fearsome processes of sex, loss and anguish as we witness the brutal purging of our protagonist’s purity. Though Compton pulls down social barriers with childhood games, pockets of awkwardness do hinder the show’s fluidity, but soon melt into the winsomeness and magnetism of this quietly devastating piece.
C Soco, 3 – 29 Aug, 10:50pm (11:50pm), £8.50 – £12.50, fpp241.
tw rating 4/5
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