Beautiful Thing
Encyclopedia
Originally Beautiful Thing is a play written by Jonathan Harvey
and first performed in 1993. A screen adaptation of the play was released in 1996 by Channel 4 Films
, with a revised screenplay also by Harvey. Initially, the film was only intended for television broadcast but it was so well-received that it was released in cinemas. The atmosphere of the film is heavily influenced by a soundtrack consisting almost entirely of the work of Mama Cass Elliot
.
, a working class area of South East London dominated by post-war council estates.
Jamie (Glen Berry
), a teen who is infatuated with his classmate, Ste, has to deal with his single mother Sandra (Linda Henry
), who is pre-occupied with ambitious plans to run her own pub and with an ever-changing string of lovers, the latest of whom is Tony (Ben Daniels
), a neo-hippie
. Sandra finds herself at odds with Leah (Tameka Empson
), a sassy and rude neighbour who has been expelled from school, does several drugs, and constantly listens and sings along to her mother's Cass Elliot
records. While Jamie's homosexuality
remains concealed, his introvert nature and dislike of football are reason enough for his classmates to bully him at every opportunity.
Ste (Scott Neal
), who is living together with his drug-dealing brother and abusive, alcoholic father in the flat next door, is one night beaten by his brother so badly that Sandra takes pity and lets him sleep over. In the absence of a third bed, Ste has to make do with sleeping 'top-to-toe' with Jamie. On the second night they share a bed: after a massage and a minor conversation, the boys soon change sleeping arrangements and Jamie kisses Ste for the first time.
The next morning, Ste panics and leaves before Jamie awakens, avoiding him for days. Jamie works up the nerve to steal a Gay Times
from a newsagent, apparently starting to accept his sexuality and affection for Ste. Jamie finally spots Ste at a nearby party and confronts him; they prepare to leave together. The party ends badly, with Sandra taking vengeance on Leah for gossiping, who then threatens to 'spill the beans' about Ste and Jamie and confesses to having covered up for Ste in front of his father and brother. Ste reacts poorly, angrily rejecting Jamie and running away.
Slowly, Ste accepts Jamie's love and their relationship begins to develop as they visit a gay pub
together. Sandra follows them and discovers their secret, and the film reaches its climax as a bad trip
by Leah (on an unnamed drug) precipitates Sandra's breakup with Tony; the news of Sandra's new job comes out; and Sandra confronts Ste and Jamie. Sandra comes to accept her son's relationship.
The play ends with the two boys slow-dancing in the courtyard of their council flats to the Cass Elliot
song "Dream a Little Dream of Me", while a guarding Sandra dances defiantly at their side with Leah as the local residents look on; some of them shocked, some of them enjoying the moment themselves.
".
Jonathan Harvey (playwright)
Jonathan Harvey is a British playwright whose work has earned multiple awards. He is also a former secondary school English teacher.-Life and works:...
and first performed in 1993. A screen adaptation of the play was released in 1996 by Channel 4 Films
Film4 Productions
Film4 Productions is a British film production company owned by Channel 4. The company has been responsible for backing a large number of films made in the United Kingdom. The company's first production was Walter, directed by Stephen Frears, which was released in 1982.- History :Before 1998, the...
, with a revised screenplay also by Harvey. Initially, the film was only intended for television broadcast but it was so well-received that it was released in cinemas. The atmosphere of the film is heavily influenced by a soundtrack consisting almost entirely of the work of Mama Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot , born Ellen Naomi Cohen and also known as Mama Cass, was an American singer and member of The Mamas & the Papas. After the group broke up, she released five solo albums. Elliot was found dead in her room in London, England, from an apparent heart attack after two weeks of sold-out...
.
Plot
The story is set and filmed on ThamesmeadThamesmead
Thamesmead is a district of south-east London, England, located in the London Boroughs of Greenwich and Bexley. It is situated east of Charing Cross....
, a working class area of South East London dominated by post-war council estates.
Jamie (Glen Berry
Glen Berry
Glen Berry is a former British actor.- Early life :Berry started attending the Anna Scher Theatre School in London in 1993, and his first steps in show business included a part as a skinhead in an ad for voluntary service.- Career :Starting in 1995, he had a recurring role on the soap opera London...
), a teen who is infatuated with his classmate, Ste, has to deal with his single mother Sandra (Linda Henry
Linda Henry
Linda Henry is an English actress, best known for her roles as Yvonne Atkins in the ITV television drama Bad Girls and Shirley Carter in the BBC's soap opera EastEnders.- Early life :...
), who is pre-occupied with ambitious plans to run her own pub and with an ever-changing string of lovers, the latest of whom is Tony (Ben Daniels
Ben Daniels
Ben Daniels is an English actor. A graduate of the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art , he has taken on roles in numerous productions...
), a neo-hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
. Sandra finds herself at odds with Leah (Tameka Empson
Tameka Empson
Tameka Empson is a British actress and comedienne who is perhaps best known for being one of the three protagonists in the hidden-camera comedy sketch show 3 Non Blondes.Tameka also featured in a episode of MI High : Red Button Rampage, Series one...
), a sassy and rude neighbour who has been expelled from school, does several drugs, and constantly listens and sings along to her mother's Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot , born Ellen Naomi Cohen and also known as Mama Cass, was an American singer and member of The Mamas & the Papas. After the group broke up, she released five solo albums. Elliot was found dead in her room in London, England, from an apparent heart attack after two weeks of sold-out...
records. While Jamie's homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
remains concealed, his introvert nature and dislike of football are reason enough for his classmates to bully him at every opportunity.
Ste (Scott Neal
Scott Neal
- Career :He entered the Anna Scher Theatre School in 1989. He debuted in The Listening on Channel Four. He has participated in other TV shows such as EastEnders, Bramwell, Prime Suspect, and London's Burning. He later became a regular appearance on the British television police drama The Bill,...
), who is living together with his drug-dealing brother and abusive, alcoholic father in the flat next door, is one night beaten by his brother so badly that Sandra takes pity and lets him sleep over. In the absence of a third bed, Ste has to make do with sleeping 'top-to-toe' with Jamie. On the second night they share a bed: after a massage and a minor conversation, the boys soon change sleeping arrangements and Jamie kisses Ste for the first time.
The next morning, Ste panics and leaves before Jamie awakens, avoiding him for days. Jamie works up the nerve to steal a Gay Times
Gay Times
Gay Times is one of the United Kingdom's leading gay magazine for gay and bisexual men.-Publication and content:...
from a newsagent, apparently starting to accept his sexuality and affection for Ste. Jamie finally spots Ste at a nearby party and confronts him; they prepare to leave together. The party ends badly, with Sandra taking vengeance on Leah for gossiping, who then threatens to 'spill the beans' about Ste and Jamie and confesses to having covered up for Ste in front of his father and brother. Ste reacts poorly, angrily rejecting Jamie and running away.
Slowly, Ste accepts Jamie's love and their relationship begins to develop as they visit a gay pub
Gay bar
A gay bar is a drinking establishment that caters to an exclusively or predominantly gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender clientele; the term gay is used as a broadly inclusive concept for LGBT and queer communities...
together. Sandra follows them and discovers their secret, and the film reaches its climax as a bad trip
Bad trip
Bad trip is a disturbing experience sometimes associated with use of a psychedelic drug such as LSD, Salvinorin A, DXM, mescaline, psilocybin, DMT and sometimes even other drugs including cannabis, alcohol and MDMA....
by Leah (on an unnamed drug) precipitates Sandra's breakup with Tony; the news of Sandra's new job comes out; and Sandra confronts Ste and Jamie. Sandra comes to accept her son's relationship.
The play ends with the two boys slow-dancing in the courtyard of their council flats to the Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot
Cass Elliot , born Ellen Naomi Cohen and also known as Mama Cass, was an American singer and member of The Mamas & the Papas. After the group broke up, she released five solo albums. Elliot was found dead in her room in London, England, from an apparent heart attack after two weeks of sold-out...
song "Dream a Little Dream of Me", while a guarding Sandra dances defiantly at their side with Leah as the local residents look on; some of them shocked, some of them enjoying the moment themselves.
Reception
The film received positive reviews from critics. As of October 2, 2010 the film holds a 90% approval rating on the reviewing aggregator site "Rotten tomatoesRotten Tomatoes
Rotten Tomatoes is a website devoted to reviews, information, and news of films—widely known as a film review aggregator. Its name derives from the cliché of audiences throwing tomatoes and other vegetables at a poor stage performance...
".
Theatrical productions
- 28 July 1993 (World premiere): Bush TheatreBush TheatreThe Bush Theatre is based in Shepherd's Bush, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. It was established in 1972 above The Bush public house by Brian McDermott, and has since become one of the most celebrated new writing theatres in the world. An intimate venue renowned for its close-up...
, London, directed by Hettie MacDonaldHettie MacDonaldHettie MacDonald is a British director who won a Grand Prix award, an International Jury Award - Honorable Mention and a People's Choice Award for her work on the film Beautiful Thing. She has also directed for television and the stage....
. It featured Patricia Kerrigan, Mark LetherenMark LetherenMark Letheren is an English actor possibly best known for his roles as journalist Simon Kitson in ITV1s drama The Bill, as Ben Harding in the BBC1 drama Casualty and for his recurring role as DS Kevin Geoffries in Wire in the Blood.- Career :His large screen debut was in Restoration, with Robert...
, Jonny Lee MillerJonny Lee MillerJonathan "Jonny" Lee Miller is an English actor. During the initial days he was best known for his roles in the 1996 films Trainspotting and Hackers...
, Sophie StantonSophie StantonSophie Stanton is an actress and playwright. She is known for her role as Detective Chief Inspector Jill Marsden in the television series EastEnders , Rose in 'Dressing For Breakfast' and as Dilly in The Wilsons...
and Philip GlenisterPhilip GlenisterPhilip Haywood Glenister is an English actor, known for his role as DCI Gene Hunt in British television series Life On Mars and its sequel Ashes To Ashes.-Television and films:...
. - September 1994: West EndWest End theatreWest End theatre is a popular term for mainstream professional theatre staged in the large theatres of London's 'Theatreland', the West End. Along with New York's Broadway theatre, West End theatre is usually considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English speaking...
at the Duke of York's TheatreDuke of York's TheatreThe Duke of York's Theatre is a West End Theatre in St Martin's Lane, in the City of Westminster. It was built for Frank Wyatt and his wife, Violet Melnotte, who retained ownership of the theatre, until her death in 1935. It opened on 10 September 1892 as the Trafalgar Square Theatre, with Wedding...
, with Amelda BrownAmelda BrownAmelda Brown is a British actress. She is best known for playing Brenda Parkin in Backup, Mrs Roach in Soldier Soldier, Pauline Cook in A Touch of Frost and Sue Barnes in Peak Practice and she has also appeared in Inspector Morse, The Bill, Lovejoy, Holby City, The Story of Tracy Beaker, and Doctors...
, Zubin VarlaZubin VarlaZubin Varla is a British actor and singer. He played the role of Judas in the 1996 West End revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, alongside Steve Balsamo , Joanna Ampil , and David Burt...
, Richard Dormer, Diane ParishDiane ParishDiane Parish is a British actress best known for her role as Denise Johnson in the BBC Soap EastEnders and DC Eva Sharpe in The Bill.-Career:...
and Rhys IfansRhys IfansRhys Ifans is a Welsh actor and musician. He is known for his portrayal of characters such as Spike in Notting Hill and Jed Parry in Enduring Love and as a member of the Welsh rock groups Super Furry Animals and The Peth. Ifans also appeared as Xenophilius Lovegood in Harry Potter and the Deathly...
. - February 1998 (Australian premiere): Directed by Michael DarraghMichael DarraghMichael Robert Darragh is a theatre producer and director as well as writer and occasional performer. He is a Business Partner and UK Head of 360° Digital Influence at Ogilvy PR Worldwide in London.- Theatre credits :...
and produced by Make Believe Productions in Sydney. An official Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi GrasSydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi GrasThe Sydney Mardi Gras is an annual LGBTQI pride parade and festival in Sydney, Australia, and draws in thousands of visitors from around Australia and overseas...
festival event, the critically acclaimed independent production starred Simon Corfield (Jamie), Natalie Murray (Leah), Fiona Harris (Sandra), Andrew Wallace (Ste) and Charles Kevin (Tony). - 16 May 1998 (American premiere): Produced by Famous Door Theater Company in Chicago, IllinoisIllinoisIllinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
. - 10 August 1998: (Edinburgh Festival Fringe premiere): Southbridge Resource Centre, EdinburghEdinburghEdinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, directed by Dan Hyde. Produced by The Absolute Banana Theatre Company. - 14 February 1999 (New York City premiere): Cherry Lane TheatreCherry Lane TheatreThe Cherry Lane Theatre , located at 38 Commerce Street in the borough of Manhattan, was New York City's oldest, continuously running off-Broadway theater...
in New York, New York. - 5 August 2002: Southbridge Resource Centre, Edinburgh, directed by Dan Hyde. Produced by The About Turn Theatre Company.
- 21 August to 26 August 2002: Marlborough Theatre, Brighton, directed by Dave Brinson. Produced by Grassy Knoll Theatre Company.
- November 2002: Coliseum Theatre, Oldham, Greater Manchester
- November 2005: Leicester Haymarket Theatre starring Jeremy Legat (Jamie), Spencer Charles Noll (Ste), Kate Wood (Sandra), Gracy Goldman (Leah) and Adam Blake (Tony).
- January to March 2006: Sound Theatre in London starring Andrew Garfield, Gavin Brocker, Leo Bill, Sophie Stanton and Naomi Bentley.
- July to September 2006: Sound Theatre in London starring Jonathan BaileyJonathan Bailey (actor)Jonathan Bailey is an English Actor. He was born on 25 April 1988, in Aylesbury Vale, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom. He is not to be confused with another English actor named Jonathon Bailey born in 1940s who played young Prince Arthur in the 1950s TV series Adventures of Robin Hood...
, Gavin Brocker, Steven MeoSteven MeoSteven James Meo is a Welsh television actor. He is known for playing Dwayne Hoffman in BBC Wales sitcom High Hopes , Grant in the BBC Three show Grownups , and Owen in the BBC Wales drama series Belonging...
, Carli Norris and Michelle TerryMichelle TerryMichelle Terry is an English actress and writer, known for her work on stage and for portraying Sara in the television pilot Reunited.-Background:Terry is from Weston-super-Mare...
. - September 2007: South London TheatreSouth London TheatreThe South London Theatre is a Community theatre in West Norwood in the London Borough of Lambeth, England. The first play opened in October 1967, and it is now a busy theatrical venue, presenting more than 22 shows annually in two auditoria: the 100-seater proscenium arch "Bell Theatre" and a...
This was the first performance by actors of the same age (and younger) as the characters they portrayed. Directed by Elaine Heath, produced by Stuart Draper of Melmoth. Starring David Clements as Jamie, Tom Bucher as Ste, Rita Goodhead as Leah, Fiona Cullen as Sandra and Chris Learmouth as Tony . - 31 October to 3 November 2007: University of Sheffield Drama Studio by SuTCo.
- 11 January 2008 (German premiere): Junges Theater Bonn. Notably this is a performance with actors being the same age as the characters they portray.
- February 2008: Soulstice Theatre in Milwaukee, WisconsinWisconsinWisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, directed by Mark E. Schuster. The cast features Zach Kunde as Jamie, Chris Darnieder as Ste, Jillian Smith as Sandra, Amanda Carson as Leah, and Doug Giffin as Tony. - 1 May 2008: Directed and acted by Fever theatre at Hemsworth Arts and Community College. The production features Kyle Crookes, (Jamie) Aaron Peace, (Tony) Joss Froggatt, (Ste) Stacey Young, (Leah) and Lauren Raynor (Sandra). The script has been cut to a thirty minute runtime.
- 26 June 2008: Produced by EM-LOU PRODUCTIONS at the Battersea Arts Centre, Directed by Peter Darney, featuring Harry Bradshaw as Jamie, Niall Phillips as Ste, Anna Stolli as Sandra, Finn Hanlon as Tony, Louise Tyler as Leah.
- 15 July 2008: Produced by the Hillyer Theatre Company at the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham, directed by Jack Fayter, with Richard Loftus as Jamie, Joel StubbsJoel StubbsJoel Stubbs is an IFBB professional bodybuilder.-Biography:Stubbs first started studying bodybuilding on his own at age 29 in 1996. In 2000 he competed in the NPC where he placed first. It wasn't until 2003 when he received his first IFBB procard during the Central American and Caribbean...
as Ste, Evelyne Beech as Sandra, Megan Travers as Leah and Steve Roberts as Tony. - 12 December 2008: Produced and directed by Michael Darragh at Zhijiang Dream Factory, Shanghai, China. Featuring Joakim Eriksson (Jamie), Sophie Lloyd (Leah), Christy Shapiro (Sandra), Derek Kwan (Ste) and JP Lopez (Tony).
- 9 January to 1 March 2009 (Paris/French languageFrench languageFrench is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
premiere): Le Vingtième Théâtre, Paris. Directed by Kester Lovelace. A Drama Ties Production. Featuring Matila Malliarakis (Jaimie), Ivan Cori (Ste), Tadrina Hocking / Delphine Lacouque (Sandra), Simon Hubert (Tony) and Aude-Laurence Clermont (Leah). Translation : Pascal Crantelle. - May 2009 (GentGhentGhent is a city and a municipality located in the Flemish region of Belgium. It is the capital and biggest city of the East Flanders province. The city started as a settlement at the confluence of the Rivers Scheldt and Lys and in the Middle Ages became one of the largest and richest cities of...
/Dutch languageDutch languageDutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
premiere) Directed by Fabio Van Hoorebeke. Featuring Pieter Van Nieuwenhuyze (Jonas), Bert Verbeke (Steve), Chadia Cambie (Sandra), Steve De Schepper (Tony) and Jolijn Antonissen (Leah). - 10 February to 20 February 2010 (Alberta premiere): Walterdale PlayhouseThe Walterdale PlayhouseThe Walterdale Playhouse is an amateur live performance venue in the Old Strathcona neighborhood of Edmonton. In 2008 the venue celebrated 50 year of theater. The theatre is mainly run by donations and volunteers in the community.-History:...
, EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. Directed by Justen Bennett. Featuring Doran Werner (Jamie), Maura Frunza (Leah), Amelia Duplessis (Sandra), Joel Taras (Ste), and Randy Brososky (Tony). - April 22–24, 2010: Oberlin CollegeOberlin CollegeOberlin College is a private liberal arts college in Oberlin, Ohio, noteworthy for having been the first American institution of higher learning to regularly admit female and black students. Connected to the college is the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, the oldest continuously operating...
in Oberlin, OH, directed by Matthew Wright, starring Linus Ignatius (Jamie), David Ohana (Ste), Hannah Finn (Sandra), Hallie Haas (Leah), and Andrew Gombas (Tony). - 19 May to 2 June 2010: Directed by Andrew Cuthbertson at Bath Spa University Theatre, Bath, The Egg Theatre, Bath, the Tacchi-Morris Arts Centre in TauntonTauntonTaunton is the county town of Somerset, England. The town, including its suburbs, had an estimated population of 61,400 in 2001. It is the largest town in the shire county of Somerset....
, the Tower in WinchesterWinchesterWinchester is a historic cathedral city and former capital city of England. It is the county town of Hampshire, in South East England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government district, and is located at the western end of the South Downs, along the course of...
and The Drill HallThe Drill HallThe Drill Hall is a theatrical venue in Bloomsbury in the London Borough of Camden, just to the east of Tottenham Court Road. It contains rehearsal rooms and meeting rooms, and two small theatres - the 200-seat Drill Hall 1 and a 50-seat studio space, known as Drill Hall 2. Its name derives from...
in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Featuring Adam James Green as Jamie, Pete Peasey as Ste, Grace K. Miller as Sandra, Daniel Harland as Tony, and Aimee Farey as Leah. - 16–24 July 2010: Tasmanian Premiere directed by Glenn Braithwaite, presented by the Old Nick Theatre Company at the Peacock Theatre in Hobart, Tasmania.
- 9 November to 3 December 2011: Directed by Sarah Frankcom at the Royal Exchange Theatre, ManchesterManchesterManchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
. Featuring Matthew Tennyson as Jamie, Tommy Vine at Ste, Tara Hodge as Leah, Claire-Louise Cordwell as Sandra and Alex Price as Tony.
Track listing
- "It's Getting Better" Mama Cass (Mann, Barry)
- "One Way Ticket" Mama Cass (Lawrence, Stephen)
- "California Earthquake" Mama Cass (Hartford, John)
- "Welcome to the World" Mama Cass (Siegal)
- "Make Your Own Kind of Music" Mama Cass (Mann, Barry)
- "Creeque Alley" The Mamas & the Papas (Phillips, Michelle)
- "Dream a Little Dream of Me" Mama Cass(Andre, Fabian)
- "Move in a Little Closer, Baby" Mama Cass (OConner, Robert)
- "California Dreamin'" The Mamas & the Papas (Phillips, John)
- "Monday, Monday" The Mamas & the Papas (Phillips, John)
- "I Saw Her Again" The Mamas & the Papas (Phillips, John)
- "Words of Love" The Mamas & the Papas (Phillips, John)
- "Dedicated to the One I Love" The Mamas & the Papas (Bass, Ralph)
- "Look Through My Window" The Mamas & the Papas (Phillips, John)
- "Go Where You Wanna Go" The Mamas & the Papas (Phillips, John)
- "Beautiful Thing Medley: Peppermint Foot Lotion/Beautiful Thing/The GL" – The Mamas & the Papas (Altman, John)