Beautiful Thing, Jonathan Harvey’s modern day love story

Beautiful Thing, Jonathan Harvey’s modern day love story, comes to the Theatre Royal Brighton

Direct from the West End, where it has played to packed houses and won high praise from national reviewers, the brand new 20th anniversary production of Jonathan Harvey’s classic play, Beautiful Thing, comes to Theatre Royal Brighton for one week only from Monday 10 June.



Beautiful Thing is a glorious urban love story between two young men set on an inner city housing estate. It tells the story of teenager Jamie’s relationship with classmate and neighbour Ste. Together, the two boys find comedy, warmth and the music of Mama Cass through their loud-mouthed next door neighbour Leah. The play exquisitely depicts what it is to be 16, in the first flush of love, and full of optimism.

Suranne Jones stars as Sandra, Jamie’s mother. Suranne’s recent television work includes two series of the very popular Scott & Bailey as DC Rachel Bailey for ITV1 and the thriller The Secret Of Crickley Hall, for BBC1. She played Idris, the human incarnation of the Tardis, in Dr. Who, also for the BBC. She has filmed three series of the spoof detective series A Touch Of Cloth for Sky 1 with John Hannah. Suranne is also well known for playing Karen McDonald in Coronation Street where she worked closely with Jonathan Harvey. Her stage work includes Top Girls at Chichester Festival Theatre and Trafalgar Studios, A Few Good Men with Jon Barrowman and Rob Lowe at the Theatre Royal Haymarket and Noel Coward’s Blithe Spirit at the Manchester Royal Exchange.

Jonathan Harvey wrote Beautiful Thing when he was just 24. It premiered at the Bush Theatre in 1993, eventually winning its author an Olivier Award nomination and the John Whiting Award. A screen adaptation of the play was released in 1996 by Channel 4 films and became a cult hit. Jonathan is a regular writer for Coronation Street and wrote the TV hit series Gimme, Gimme, Gimme, as well as the bestselling 2012 novel All She Wants. His other plays include Canary and Corrie!

Beautiful Thing is directed by Nikolai Foster, an Associate Director of the West Yorkshire Playhouse. His work has been seen in most of the UK’s leading regional theatres, touring houses and internationally, and recent productions include Flashdance in the West End.

Don’t miss Beautiful Thing, an uplifting and heartwarming piece of theatre, and one of the highlights of Theatre Royal Brighton’s drama programme this summer.

Beautiful Thing, Theatre Royal Brighton, Monday 10–Saturday 15 June, £10–£27, book tickets on 0844 871 7650*
www.atgtickets.com/brighton*
*Subject to booking fee