The piece centred around youth violence and its entanglement with social inequality, aiming to look at the root cause of its rise. With a cast comprised of young people, ‘Just My Boy’ is a powerful call to action from the demographic most affected by this issue: young people.

The combined use of Physical Theatre and harrowing projected CCTV footage of youth violence was distressing yet necessary to convey the harsh reality of this growing societal problem. Early in the piece, parallels were drawn between knife crime today and that in Macbeth and how in both instances the desire to murder is driven by desire for power and respect amongst peers, emphasising how long this issue has really been around.

At one point in the piece, the young actors create caricatures of current politicians, parodying each of their opinions and attitudes towards youth violence and gang culture conveying how it is almost comedic how such a pressing issue is disregarded by the government and wider society.

The chilling verbatim used from those affected first-hand by youth violence further opened the eyes of the audience to the harsh reality of gang culture and its glamorization in today’s day and age through social media and music.

The use of spoken word at the end of the piece undoubtedly resonated with every audience member: ’26 hours in labour, and only 4 minutes to watch him die’. ‘Just My Boy’ gives a voice to marginalised communities directly affected by youth violence and its call to action will certainly stick with its audience for a long time.

At the outset of the play, we are introduced to Wendy Darling and her brothers sleeping peacefully before the mischievous and charismatic Peter tumbles in joined by his fractious sidekick ‘Tink. The fact that the roles of children were played by young people contributed greatly to the playful and imaginative tone of the play. As an audience member I particularly enjoyed how the ensemble played a key part in the production, not only using physical theatre to bring Peter’s shadow to life, but also creating seamless transitions between the real world and ‘Neverland’.

All of the lead actors were phenomenal, but personally for me, Captain Hook was a huge standout performance. He perfectly maintained the pace of the play, all the while creating a frightening atmosphere with occasional drops of humour keeping the audience engaged and on edge. Some other honourable mentions were the protagonists Peter and Wendy themselves, the actors perfectly capturing the charisma and mischief of Peter and the innocence and empathy of Wendy.

From Stage Combat to mermaids and fairies, Coombe Academy of Performing Arts welcomed the audience into ‘Neverland’ and the imagination of children for one unforgettable evening.

– Review by one of our young reviewers, Sophie Lambert.