Ad disclosure: We were provided with press tickets for the purpose of this post.
Yesterday, I took Lydia and two of her school friends to the Birmingham Rep Studio Theatre to see The Boy With Wings. This co-production from the Rep and Polka Theatre is based on the book of the same name by Sir Lenny Henry and is aimed at ages 7-12.
The Studio is one of the Rep’s smaller stages, shared with the Birmingham Library, and is frequently used for smaller family-friendly performances. It’s a comfortable and fairly intimate-sized venue, making it easy for the performers to interact with the audience. This was evident in the production, where the younger audience members actively participated, helping the cast with directions and so on.
The Boy With Wings tells the story of Tunde, a twelve-year-old boy who has lived with his mother all his life. He believes himself to be abandoned by his father, who is supposedly on a long work trip for the past eleven years. Terrified of the world around him, Tunde’s two friends, Kylie and Dev (Nev in the original book), help him to be brave and join him on his adventures. Along the way, a talking cat named Juba appears to reveal the mysterious truth about Tunde’s identity and his destiny.
With only six cast members and some puppetry, the production has a limited number of characters. A few characters from the original book have been omitted or merged together, which simplifies the story and makes it easier to follow who’s who. Additionally, the story has been tweaked to make it simpler, more suitable for the stage, and child-friendly in length.
The cast all gave a fantastic performance on stage. Jess Murrain’s performance as the rhyming & rapping cat Juba was particularly impressive, showcasing her great singing voice. Millie Elkins-Green’s portrayal of Kylie was also impressive, with her comedic timing and expressive acting. While the 12-year-olds I had with me apparently found her “a bit cringey” at times, I found her performance enjoyable.
Ariel Boboye’s debut stage performance as Tunde was commendable, although he could have enunciated his words more clearly at times to make himself easier to understand.
Mia Jerome’s performance as the worried and loving mother Ruth was really great – and she got the parents in the audience laughing. Sir Lenny Henry joined the cast by voicing the various gadgets in the play and delivering the pre-show “tell your grown-ups to turn off their phones” speech over the speakers.
The production features catchy songs and even a few rap battles between the characters. The title song stuck in my head for hours after the show, especially since the audience were encouraged to join in singing it at the end. The kids in the audience clearly enjoyed the show, and there were a few funny moments for the adults too.
The staging was deceptively simple, with one large set piece, minimal props, projections, and clever lighting that changed the location from a living room to a park and even to something a little more out of this world. Ladders and ramps were cleverly built into the set, allowing the cast to climb and dangle all over the place.
I think that the age recommendation of 7+ is bang on, with the three girls I had with me (who all just finished Year 7) being just about young enough to still enjoy it – although they admitted they found a few moments a bit too childish for them. I would say it was especially perfect for Key Stage 2-aged kids, and that Key Stage 1-aged kids would enjoy it but have moments where they didn’t understand some of what was going on or said.
The Boy With Wings is an energetic production that, at times, feels a bit like it is trying too hard to be cool… However, I found myself enjoying it. Personally, I found some of the rapping segments and clunkier dialogue a bit tiring, but it was clear that almost every child in the audience, in the age range it’s aimed at, was absolutely loving it. The theatre was filled with laughter, and the kids enthusiastically joined in when asked to by the characters on stage.
Lydia (and friends!) say: It was a good, light hearted performance with lots of funny moments. Also, I thought all the staging was really good. I found myself laughing throughout and bopping along to silly raps and songs. While I will say not all the cast were the greatest singers, they performed well and definitely built up a lot of energy in the theatre. Overall, it was a good experience with lots of laughter and catchy beats.
The Boy With Wings is on at the Studio at the Rep Birmingham until Saturday 30th August, with tickets available from £15. The running time is 1 hour 25 minutes, including an interval, and is suitable for children from 7 years+.
