In 1993 Jonathan Harvey’s ‘Beautiful Thing’ was performed for the first time
In 1993, Jonathan Harvey’s play Beautiful Thing was performed for the first time. The play tells the story of two teenage boys living on a London council estate who fall in love.
The original production opened at London’s Bush Theatre and was directed by Hettie Macdonald. The cast featured Patricia Kerrigan, Mark Letheren, Jonny Lee Miller, Sophie Stanton and Philip Glenister.
The story follows teenager Jamie, who is infatuated with his classmate Ste. Ste lives with his drug-taking brother and alcoholic father. After being badly beaten by his father, Jamie’s mother insists that he stay at their flat. With no spare bed available, the two boys are forced to share a room.
In March 1994, the show was restaged at the Donmar Warehouse in Covent Garden. While Letheren and Stanton reprised their roles, Imelda Brown, Shaun Dingwall and Hugh Bonneville joined the cast.
A third staging followed just a few months later at the Duke of York’s Theatre in London’s West End. Imelda Brown was joined by Zubin Varla, Richard Dormer, Diane Parish and Rhys Ifans.
The success of the play saw it commissioned as a TV movie, with Hettie Macdonald still directing. Producers were so pleased with the results it was released to cinemas, where it quickly found a global audience who fell in love with the story.
Since its debut Beautiful Thing has been performed regularly around the world. It was on in Sydney in 2021 as part of the Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, and there was a Perth production the following year.
Jonathan Harvey later created the television series Gimme, Gimme, Gimme and Beautiful People. He has also worked with the Pet Shop Boys on the musical Closer to Heaven and the cabaret show Musik.
Harvey also wrote the book for the jukebox musical Dusty – The Dusty Springfield Musical, along with numerous other stage works.
OIP Staff
