Beautiful thing

Upliftingly optimistic, Harvey's play about two teenage boys falling in love refuses melodramatic clichés to offer a story bright with sensitivity, pathos and wit. Sixteen-year-old Jaime lives with his mum Sandra and her younger boyfriend in a low-rise block of flats in Thamesmead, London. Living next door is the rowdy Leah, who has been expelled from school and spends her days sunning herself and listening to Mama Cass. And on the other side is Ste, also sixteen. His father's anger means that he often hides out in Jaime and Sandra's flat, spending the night there to escape being beaten. Ste and Jaime start off top-and-tailing in Jaime's bed, since there's nowhere else to sleep, and Harvey unfolds their tentative, awkward relationship with delicacy and with joy. The crisply authentic dialogue darts between aching, soul-searching emotion and sharp winning comedy, perfectly capturing the thrill of a first love. 'Beautiful Thing' was first performed in 1993 at the Bush Theatre, London.