The Boy at the Back of the Class – Review – Bradford Alhambra Theatre
By Christine Goode, May 2026
Back to school! We headed to the Alhambra Theatre to find hundreds of young schoolchildren, some on an exciting school trip with their friends, and others with their parents for a special treat to see this Olivier Award-winning play.
Written in 2017 by Onjali Q Rauf, the story was inspired by her experiences working in refugee camps in 2016. It has since become a staple in many primary schools and could not be more relevant in today’s society.
We meet Alexa (Sasha Desouza-Willock), a kind and resilient nine-year-old still grieving for her father. She introduces her classmates, including her best friends, ‘The A-Team’ – Josie (Petra Joan Athene), Michael (Abdul-Malik Janneh) and Tom (Jonny Warr) – along with Brendan the bully (Max Jordan) and the spoiled Clarissa (Evie Weldon). When Ahmet (Fedrat Sadat), a quiet new boy who speaks no English, joins the class, Alexa welcomes him into the group. She soon learns he has fled Syria, lost his sister during the journey in a tragic accident, and was separated from his parents. He now has to live with a foster family. Shocked by the prejudice he faces, Alexa and her friends set out to help him find his family – and so the adventure begins.
“Clever use of props”
The show tackles some very heavy subjects – bullying, racism, death and the ongoing refugee crisis – yet this story is aimed at primary school-age children.
Interestingly, adults play the child characters. The cast are excellent and capture the spirit of childhood with real charm. Their voices, expressions and energy feel convincingly youthful. The playground scene is especially lively and fun, with football, tig, make-believe games and even a scuffle bringing it to life. The cast also show impressive versatility, switching easily from adult roles with different accents and backgrounds back to believable nine-year-olds.
Set and costume design by Lily Arnold are great, with the school gymnasium-style setting adapting to many different scenes, including Alexa’s home and even a London bus. With clever use of props, we are easily transported, whether it be in a taxi or on the choppy seas. The tale has this young audience captivated throughout. The costumes are typical school uniforms and are used as a base, as the actors take on multiple adult roles and some very quick changes, enabling them to layer up with big coats and hats.
“Difficult subjects”
The music and sound effects also add to the whole production. I thought the timing between the football and the sound effect of the ball bouncing or being kicked was spot on.
I had not heard of the book before and was unsure what to expect, but I thoroughly enjoyed this production. It tackles difficult subjects that many adults may avoid, yet tells the story effectively through the eyes of children. It was also wonderful to see so many young audience members enjoying the theatre, some perhaps for the first time. They definitely enjoyed this slick, fast-paced production, and at the finale we all praised the cast with huge cheers and enthusiastic applause. I am sure there will be a few tired audience members this morning, but what a fantastic experience this was for everyone.
The Boy at the Back of the Class is at Bradford Alhambra Theatre until Saturday 23 May
images: Manuel Harlan
Christine Goode founded her own dance school – The May School of Dance & Theatre Arts over three decades ago. Her dedication to teaching and love of dance, has created many successful artists in the industry, and she is delighted that many of her former students have now returned with their children, allowing them to also discover this beautiful art. She has choreographed, produced and directed shows over the last 36 years, and is devoted to all live theatre and music. Now in her third year of writing about her obsession with the arts, Christine loves to encourage everyone to see as much live theatre as possible.
maydanceschool.co.uk
