''Beautiful Thing'' is a play written by Jonathan Harvey and first performed in 1993. A screen adaptation of the play was released in 1996 by Channel 4 Films, with a revised screenplay also by Harvey.

Plot of the Screen Version

The story is set in

Thamesmead Thamesmead is an area of south-east London, England, straddling the border between the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the London Borough of Bexley. It is located east of Charing Cross, north-east of Woolwich and west of Erith. It mainly consi ...

, a working class area of South East London dominated by post-war council estates. Jamie, a teen who is infatuated with his classmate, Ste, has to deal with his single mother Sandra, who is pre-occupied with ambitious plans to run her own pub and with an ever-changing string of lovers, the latest of whom is Tony, a neo-

hippie A hippie, also spelled hippy, especially in British English, is someone associated with the counterculture of the 1960s, originally a youth movement that began in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to different countries around ...

. Sandra finds herself at odds with Leah, a sassy and rude neighbour who has been expelled from school, does several drugs, and constantly listens and sings along to her mother's

Cass Elliot Ellen Naomi Cohen (September 19, 1941 – July 29, 1974), known professionally as Mama Cass and later on as Cass Elliot, was an American singer and voice actress. She was a member of the singing group the Mamas & the Papas. After the group brok ...

records. While Jamie's

homosexuality Homosexuality is Romance (love), romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or Human sexual activity, sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romant ...

remains concealed, his introvert nature and dislike of football are reason enough for his classmates to bully him at every opportunity. Ste, who is living together with his drug-dealing brother and abusive, alcoholic father in the flat next door, is one night beaten by his father so badly that Sandra takes pity and lets him sleep over. In the absence of a third bed, Ste has to make do with sleeping 'top-to-toe' with Jamie. On the second night they share a bed: after a massage and a minor conversation, the boys soon change sleeping arrangements and Jamie kisses Ste for the first time. The next morning, Ste panics and leaves before Jamie awakens, avoiding him for days. Jamie works up the nerve to steal a ''

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'' from a newsagent, apparently starting to accept his sexuality and affection for Ste. Jamie finally spots Ste at a nearby party and confronts him; they prepare to leave together. The party ends badly, with Sandra taking vengeance on Leah for gossiping, who then threatens to 'spill the beans' about Ste and Jamie and confesses to having covered up for Ste in front of his father and brother. Ste reacts poorly, angrily rejecting Jamie and running away. Slowly, Ste accepts Jamie's love and their relationship begins to develop as they visit a gay pub together. Sandra follows them and discovers their secret, and the story reaches its climax as a

bad trip A bad trip (also known as challenging experiences, acute intoxication from hallucinogens, psychedelic crisis, or emergence phenomenon) is an acute adverse psychological reaction to classic hallucinogens. With proper screening, preparation, and su ...

by Leah (on an unnamed drug) precipitates Sandra's breakup with Tony; the news of Sandra's new job comes out; and Sandra confronts Ste and Jamie. Sandra comes to accept her son's relationship. The play ends with the two boys slow-dancing in the courtyard of their council flats to the

song " Dream a Little Dream of Me", while a guarding Sandra dances defiantly at their side with Leah as the local residents look on; some of them shocked, some of them enjoying the moment themselves.

Theatrical productions

* 28 July 1993 (World premiere):

Bush Theatre The Bush Theatre is located in the Passmore Edwards Public Library, Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 as a showcase for the work of new writers. The Bush Theatre strives to create a s ...

, London, directed by

Hettie MacDonald Hettie Macdonald is an English film, theatre and television director. Macdonald is known as the director of the Hugo Award-winning 2007 episode of the ''Doctor Who'' series, "Blink", and won a Grand Prix award, an International Jury Award - Hono ...

. It featured Patricia Kerrigan,

Mark Letheren Mark Vincent Letheren (born 6 February 1971) is an English actor. He is best known for his roles as journalist Simon Kitson in ITV's drama ''The Bill'', as Ben Harding in the BBC One drama ''Casualty'' and for his recurring role as DS Kevin Geo ...

Jonny Lee Miller Jonathan Lee Miller (born 15 November 1972) is a British film, television and theatre actor. He achieved early success for his portrayal of Simon "Sick Boy" Williamson in the dark comedy-drama film '' Trainspotting'' (1996) and as Dade Murphy i ...

Sophie Stanton Sophie Stanton (born 1971 in London, England) is an English actress, director and playwright. She is best known for her role as DCI Jill Marsden in the BBC soap opera ''EastEnders'' in which she has appeared on and off since 2001. Career Ea ...

and

Philip Glenister Philip Haywood Glenister (born 10 February 1963) is an English actor. He is best known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in the BBC series '' Life on Mars'' (2006–2007) and its sequel '' Ashes to Ashes'' (2008–2010). He also played DCI Willia ...

. * 29 March 1994: West End at the

Donmar Warehouse The Donmar Warehouse is a 251-seat, not-for-profit theatre in Covent Garden, London, England. It first opened on 18 July 1977. Sam Mendes, Michael Grandage and Josie Rourke have all served as artistic director, a post held since 2019 by Mi ...

which ran until 23 April 1994, with

Amelda Brown Amelda Brown is a British actress of stage, film, and television. She trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, graduating in 1980, and became known for her work in fringe theatre. She played leading roles in the premieres of Caryl Churchil ...

, Shaun Dingwall,

and Hugh Bonneville * 26 September 1994: West End at the

Duke of York's Theatre The Duke of York's Theatre is a West End theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster, London. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre until her death in 1935. Designed by th ...

, with

Zubin Varla Zubin Varla (born 1970) is a British actor and singer. He played the role of Judas in the 1996 West End revival of ''Jesus Christ Superstar'', alongside Steve Balsamo (Jesus), Joanna Ampil (Mary Magdalene), and David Burt (Pilate). This produ ...

Richard Dormer Richard Dormer (born 11 November 1969) is an actor, playwright and screenwriter from Northern Ireland. He is best known for his roles as Beric Dondarrion in the HBO television series ''Game of Thrones'' and Dan Anderssen in Sky Atlantic's ...

, Diane Parish and

Rhys Ifans Rhys Ifans (; born Rhys Owain Evans; 22 July 1967) is a Welsh actor and musician. He was the frontman of Welsh rock music bands the Peth and Super Furry Animals. As an actor, he is best known for his roles in ''Notting Hill'' (1999), ''Kevin & ...

. * February 1998 (Australian premiere): Directed by

Michael Darragh Michael Robert Darragh (born 4 March 1975 in Gold Coast, Australia) is a theatre producer and director as well as writer and occasional performer. Theatre credits * 2008: director, producer - '' Beautiful Thing'' by Jonathan Harvey at Zhijiang ...

and produced by Make Believe Productions in Sydney. An official

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festival event, the critically acclaimed independent production starred Simon Corfield (Jamie), Natalie Murray (Leah), Fiona Harris (Sandra), Andrew Wallace (Ste) and Charles Kevin (Tony). * 16 May 1998 (American premiere): Produced by Famous Door Theater Company in Chicago,

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolitan areas include, Peoria and Rock ...

. * 10 August 1998: (

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

premiere): Southbridge Resource Centre,

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, directed by Dan Hyde. Produced by The Absolute Banana Theatre Company. * 14 February 1999 (New York City premiere):

Cherry Lane Theatre The Cherry Lane Theatre is the oldest continuously running off-Broadway theater in New York City. The theater is located at 38 Commerce Street between Barrow and Bedford Streets in the West Village neighborhood of Greenwich Village, Manhattan, ...

in New York, New York. * 13 May 1999: Rotherham Arts Centre, directed by Darren Rhodes. Produced by Out of the Blue Theatre Company. * 5 August 2002: Southbridge Resource Centre, Edinburgh, directed by Dan Hyde. Produced by The About Turn Theatre Company. * 21 August to 26 August 2002: Marlborough Theatre, Brighton, directed by Dave Brinson. Produced by Grassy Knoll Theatre Company. * November 2002: Coliseum Theatre, Oldham, Greater Manchester * November 2005:

Leicester Haymarket Theatre The Leicester Haymarket Theatre is a theatre in Leicester, England, next to the Haymarket Shopping Centre on Belgrave Gate in Leicester City centre. History The Haymarket Theatre was opened by Sir Ralph Richardson and the opening season start ...

starring Jeremy Legat (Jamie), Spencer Charles Noll (Ste), Kate Wood (Sandra), Gracy Goldman (Leah) and Adam Blake (Tony). * January to March 2006:

Sound Theatre In physics, sound is a vibration that propagates as an acoustic wave, through a transmission medium such as a gas, liquid or solid. In human physiology and psychology, sound is the ''reception'' of such waves and their ''perception'' by ...

in London starring

Andrew Garfield Andrew Russell Garfield (born 20 August 1983) is an English and American actor. He has received various accolades, including a Tony Award, a BAFTA TV Award and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for two Academy Awards. '' Tim ...

, Gavin Brocker, Leo Bill, Sophie Stanton and Naomi Bentley. * July to September 2006: Sound Theatre in London starring

Jonathan Bailey Jonathan Stuart Bailey (born 25 April 1988) is an English actor. Known for his comedic, dramatic, and musical roles on stage and screen, he is the recipient of a Laurence Olivier Award and a nomination for a Evening Standard Theatre Award. Ba ...

, Gavin Brocker,

Steven Meo Steven James Meo is a Welsh television actor from Coelbren in the Swansea Valley, Wales. He is known for playing Dwayne Hoffman in BBC Wales sitcom '' High Hopes'' (2002–2008), Grant in the BBC Three series '' Grownups'' (2006–2009), and Owe ...

, Carli Norris and

Michelle Terry Michelle Terry is an Olivier Award–winning English actress and writer, known for her extensive work for Shakespeare's Globe, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre, as well as her television work, notably writing and star ...

. * September 2007:

South London Theatre The South London Theatre is a community theatre housed in a Grade II listed former fire station, in West Norwood in the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The first play opened in October 1967, and it is now a busy theatrical venue, presenting ...

This was the first performance by actors of the same age (and younger) as the characters they portrayed. Directed by Elaine Heath, produced by Stuart Draper of Melmoth. Starring David Clements as Jamie, Tom Bucher as Ste, Rita Goodhead as Leah, Fiona Cullen as Sandra and Chris Learmouth as Tony. * 31 October to 3 November 2007:

Drama Studio, University of Sheffield The Drama Studio is an intimate 177 seat theatre venue owned by the University of Sheffield and operated by the University’Performance Venuesdepartment. Opened in 1970, it is housed in the former Glossop Road Baptist Church and retains many o ...

by SuTCo. * 11 January 2008 (German premiere)
Junges Theater Bonn
Notably this is a performance with actors being the same age as the characters they portray. * February 2008
Soulstice Theatre
in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee i ...

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

, directed by Mark E. Schuster. The cast features Zach Kunde as Jamie, Chris Darnieder as Ste, Jillian Smith as Sandra, Amanda Carson as Leah, and Doug Giffin as Tony. * 1 May 2008: Directed and acted by Fever theatre at Hemsworth Arts and Community College. The production features Kyle Crookes, (Jamie) Aaron Peace, (Tony) Joss Froggatt, (Ste) Stacey Young, (Leah) and Lauren Raynor (Sandra). The script has been cut to a thirty-minute runtime. * 26 June 2008: Produced by EM-LOU PRODUCTIONS at the Battersea Arts Centre, Directed by Peter Darney, featuring Harry Bradshaw as Jamie, Niall Phillips as Ste, Anna Stolli as Sandra, Finn Hanlon as Tony, Louise Tyler as Leah. * 15 July 2008: Produced by the Hillyer Theatre Company at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, directed by Jack Fayter, with Richard Loftus as Jamie, Joel Stubbs as Ste, Evelyne Beech as Sandra, Megan Travers as Leah and Steve Roberts as Tony. * 12 December 2008: Produced and directed by Michael Darragh at Zhijiang Dream Factory, Shanghai, China. Featuring Joakim Eriksson (Jamie), Sophie Lloyd (Leah), Christy Shapiro (Sandra), Derek Kwan (Ste) and JP Lopez (Tony). * 9 January to 1 March 2009 (Paris/

French language French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in N ...

premiere): Le Vingtième Théâtre, Paris. Directed by Kester Lovelace. A Drama Ties Production. Featuring Matila Malliarakis (Jaimie), Ivan Cori (Ste), Tadrina Hocking / Delphine Lacouque (Sandra), Simon Hubert (Tony) and Aude-Laurence Clermont (Leah). Translation : Pascal Crantelle. * May 2009 ( Gent/

Dutch language Dutch ( ) is a West Germanic language spoken by about 25 million people as a first language and 5 million as a second language. It is the third most widely spoken Germanic language, after its close relatives German and English. '' Afrikaans'' ...

premiere) Directed by Fabio Van Hoorebeke. Featuring Pieter Van Nieuwenhuyze (Jonas), Bert Verbeke (Steve), Chadia Cambie (Sandra), Steve De Schepper (Tony) and Jolijn Antonissen (Leah). * 10 February to 20 February 2010 (Alberta premiere): Walterdale Playhouse,

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...

. Directed by Justen Bennett. Featuring Doran Werner (Jamie), Maura Frunza (Leah), Amelia Duplessis (Sandra), Joel Taras (Ste), and Randy Brososky (Tony). * April 22–24, 2010:

Oberlin College Oberlin College is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Oberlin, Ohio. It is the oldest coeducational liberal arts college in the United States and the second oldest continuously operating coeducational institute of highe ...

in Oberlin, OH, directed by Matthew Wright, starring Linus Ignatius (Jamie), David Ohana (Ste), Hannah Finn (Sandra), Hallie Haas (Leah), and Andrew Gombas (Tony). * 19 May to 2 June 2010: Directed by Andrew Cuthbertson at Bath Spa University Theatre,

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Pl ...

, The Egg Theatre,

, the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre in

Taunton Taunton () is the county town of Somerset, England, with a 2011 population of 69,570. Its thousand-year history includes a 10th-century monastic foundation, Taunton Castle, which later became a priory. The Normans built a castle owned by the ...

, the Tower in

Winchester Winchester is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs Nation ...

and

The Drill Hall RADA Studios (formerly The Drill Hall) is a theatrical venue in Chenies Street in Bloomsbury, just to the east of Tottenham Court Road in the West End of London. Owned by the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), the building contains rehearsal ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. Featuring Adam James Green as Jamie, Pete Peasey as Ste, Grace K. Miller as Sandra, Daniel Harland as Tony, and Aimee Farey as Leah. * 16–24 July 2010: Tasmanian Premiere directed by Glenn Braithwaite, presented by the Old Nick Theatre Company at the Peacock Theatre in Hobart, Tasmania. * 9 November to 3 December 2011: Directed by Sarah Frankcom at the Royal Exchange Theatre,

Manchester Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...

. Featuring Matthew Tennyson as Jamie, Tommy Vine as Ste, Tara Hodge as Leah, Claire-Louise Cordwell as Sandra and Alex Price as Tony. * 9 February to 25 February 2012: Directed by Stephen M. Raeburn at the Browncoat Pub and Theatre, Wilmington. Featuring Kenny Rosander as Jamie, Ryan P. C. Trimble as Ste, Anna Gamel as Leah, Terrie Batson as Sandra, and Charles Auten as Tony. Regional premiere. * 28 January to 29 January 2013: Directed by Peter Hynds and produced by TS Theatre Productions in Swindon, UK; performed at The Arts Centre, Swindon. This production starred Dominic Baker (Jamie), Josh Foyster (Ste), Sarah Lewis (Sandra), Ella Thomas (Leah), and Howard Trigg (Tony). * 14 February to 2 March 2013: Directed by Brandon Martignago and produced by Burley Theatre in Sydney as an official

festival event. This 20th anniversary production starred Michael Brindley (Jamie), Stephanie King (Leah), Amanda Stephans Lee (Sandra), Luke Willing (Ste) and Andrew Hearle (Tony). * April to May 2013

Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. History It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre censorship by the Lord Chamber ...

in London's West End. * 30 April to 30 May 2013: Directed by JP Quirk and produced by Jeannine Collins in Batavia, IL. USA. This 20th anniversary production starred Timothy Vogel (Jamie), [Kasia Karbarz (Leah), Erin Cauley (Sandra), Michael Sherry (Ste), Tony Pelligrino (Tony) and Jon Witt (Ronnie). Photos
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* 24 July to 26 July 2015: Directed by Lawkin Law, translated by 我要真翻譯 and produced by Theatrideo in Hong Kong, at the Hong Kong Cultural Centre. This production starred Koch Fung Koon Ho 馮小西 (Jamie), Joe Chan 陳祖 (Ste), Angle Kwok Lai Man 郭麗敏 (Sandra), Clara Ho Wing Yee 何潁怡 (Leah), and Romeo Wong Chun Kit 王俊傑 (Tony). Photos
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* 21 February 2017: Directed by Ryan Gooderham at

Thurston Community College Thurston Community College is a co-educational secondary school and sixth form located in Thurston, Suffolk, England. As of 2018, it has 1,733 students aged 11–18 drawn from the local village and surrounding rural communities. History Thn C ...

, Beyton. Starring Matthew Gibson (Jamie), Charlie Stannard (Ste), Aisling Brooks (Sandra), Imogen Turnbow (Leah) and Daniel McKeown (Tony). * 1 June to 29 June 2018: 25th anniversary production at Above The Stag Theatre. * 3 July to 7 July 2018: Open air, site-specific dance-theatre adaptation performed on the

housing estate where the play is set and the 1996

Beautiful Thing (film) ''Beautiful Thing'' is a 1996 British romantic comedy film directed by Hettie MacDonald and released by Channel 4 Films. The screenplay was written by Jonathan Harvey based on his own original play of the same name. The film was originally ...

was shot. Co-Directed by Bradley Hemmings and Robby Graham and produced by Haitham Ridha as part of

Greenwich+Docklands International Festival Greenwich ( , ,) is a town in south-east London, England, within the ceremonial county of Greater London. It is situated east-southeast of Charing Cross. Greenwich is notable for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwic ...

Beautiful Thing, 3-7 July 2018, Greenwich+Docklands International Festival
*11 October to 27 October 2018: In-house production by Tobacco Factory Theatres, Bristol. Directed by Mike Tweddle and starring Finn Hanlon as Tony, Amy-Leigh Hickman as Leah, Ted Reilly as Jamie, Phoebe Thomas as Sandra and Tristan Waterson as Ste. *2 February to 6 March 2021: Presented by New Theatre, Newtown, Sydney as part of the 2021 Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Directed by Mark Nagle and starring Caspar Hardaker, Julia Kennedy Scott, Will Manton, Bayley Prendergast, Hannah Zaslawski - https://newtheatre.org.au/beautiful-thing/ *6 May to 7 May 2022: Directed by Miguel Rosa and associate directed by Anoushka Medina, produced b
Nueva Escena PR
in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Starring Julián Gilormini as Jamie, Luis Obed Velázquez as Ste, Yamaris Latorre as Sandra, María Luisa "Mussa" Marín as Leah, and Hector Enrique Rodríguez as Tony.

References

{{John Whiting Award 1993 plays LGBT-related plays Comedy plays British plays adapted into films Plays set in London