Laughing Boy, Jermyn Street Theatre Review

Written by Philip for Theatre and Tonic.

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review

Laughing Boy is a poignant and true story of love, loss and the battle for justice. It details the story of Connor Sparrowhawk, a young man who dies a completely avoidable death while in the care of the NHS and his mother, Sara Ryan’s fight for answers.

Connor LOVES buses. And haulage lorries. And coaches. Connor has learning difficulties. Connor is also no longer with us. A fact you learn very early on. The play is split into many different sections; each examining the thoughts, feelings and actions over given periods of time. It gives us a glimpse of Connor as a young man before he goes to live at an NHS facility called Slade House, as well as his life there, until his entirely preventable death and the incredible campaign for truth and justice that comes from it.

Sara Ryan runs a blog which details her thoughts and feelings about Connor’s treatment under the NHS. It gained quite a following which helped to ignite a fire in the belly of so many other people going through similar experiences.

The play is written by Stephen Unwin who adapted Sara Ryan’s book, ‘Justice for Laughing Boy’. His writing pays such close attention to detail. He uses the unflinching true account of Connor’s story based on the writings of Connor’s mother, Sara. You are completely drawn into the narrative and are taken aback by the amount of cataclysmic mistakes that are made by Slade House and the NHS while Connor was in their care. The sheer level of contempt that is shown to the family and the lack of accountability taken by the NHS is staggering. Unwin also directs the piece deliberately not shying away from the facts and allowing the story to tell itself. The staging is very simple but effective.

The acting talent is led by the astonishing Janie Dee who plays Sara Ryan. She brilliantly encapsulates real truth. She shows such warmth of character and a steely determination to fight for justice - just as the real Sara Ryan has done. You cannot take your eyes off her. The rest of the cast are equally impressive as they each take on multiple roles showing range and skill. The most important role that each takes on is a member Connor’s family. With Molly Osborne plays Rosie, Connor’s sister. Charlie Ives, Lee Braithwaite and Daniel Rainford play Connor’s brothers, Will, Owen and Tom respectively, and Forbes Masson plays Sara’s partner Rich. They flit to different characters with ease. You know who each is with a change of voice and physicality. Alfie Friedman takes on the role of Connor Sparrowhawk himself. He gives us a glimpse at Connor through good times and bad. You fall in love with him almost instantly.

Connor was and is so loved. That love is what radiates throughout this piece. It is what drives his family’s fight for justice. To find out why. Laughing Boy’s story deserves to be told. It needs to be told to hopefully stop history repeating itself again and again.

Laughing Boy runs at the Jermyn Street Theatre until 31st May 2024