Northbound Boy Review Review - Green Room Reviews

August 19, 2024

Northbound Boy Review

13th August – 1st September 2024

Every country has its quirks, and the specificity of UK service stations is one of them. Littered with deep burgundy Costa Coffee cups, flashing slot machines, and fast food eateries, everyone has an idea of one in their head, making it a brilliant, neutral location.

So, it makes sense that a service station is exactly where we meet 19-year-old hitchhiker, Rory (Cormac Hyde-Corrin), and 43-year-old Ken (Neil Ashton) who agrees to drive him up to Blackpool. Unfortunately, they only make it as far as Ken’s recently inherited family home on the Lancashire Moors, which has been ransacked by his Dad’s sister, Ivy (Sarah Moyle).

“The (following) 75-minute-long queer comedy will make you cry, laugh, and cry laugh”

The following 75-minute-long queer comedy will make you cry, laugh, and cry laugh. And it will also make you think, as the cast explores themes of sexuality, grief, and relationships, in a way that everyone in the audience can relate to.

This is in part also due to the simple yet mightily effective set and stage directions which guided the audience without overwhelming them, such as the impeccably timed drawing of the curtains or switching off of the lights, for example.

Written by James Hogan, founder of the pioneering publishing house, Oberon Books, Northbound Boy’s two-and-a-half-week run at the King’s Head Theatre in Islington marks its world premiere, and this is clearly just the very start.

The same can be said about Hyde-Corrin’s stage debut, as his convincing performance totally absorbed the audience, who were left wanting nothing but the best for him.

While there are significant age gaps between each of the characters, the dynamic between them perfectly encapsulates this and serves as a reminder that we’re often not as different from each other as we may think, and we are also reminded that you’re never too old to change.

If the raucous applause was anything to go at the end of the play, Northbound Boy is definitely worth making the trip over to Islington for, so make sure you get your tickets before it’s too late.