Beautiful Thing, Arts Theatre

Some plays are game-changers. When Jonathan Harvey’s Beautiful Thing opened at the tiny Bush Theatre in 1993 the joy that radiated off the stage was ample affirmation that this tale of puppy love had changed the face of gay plays for ever. Gone was dreary soul searching; gone was guilt; gone was militancy. Instead, we got fun, laughter and real heart.

Then came the culture clash. When, the following year, the play transferred to the West End, along with Kevin Elyot’s My Night with Reg, the London Evening Standard inveighed against the corrupting “plague of pink plays”. Two plays — some plague. A film version of Beautiful Thing followed and its status as a feelgood gay drama is now assured. This 20th anniversary revival, which stars Suranne Jones (Scott and Bailey) is a timely reminder of the piece’s virtues.

It is really a soft-hearted play about young love

Located mainly on the walkway of a Thamesmead council estate, three of the five characters are young teens: 15-year-old Leah (who is obsessed with Mama Cass, and has been chucked out of school), 16-year-old Jamie and Ste. Jamie’s mother is Sandra (Jones), a barmaid, and her younger lover is Tony, more stoner than artist. Jamie and Ste are best mates and when the latter runs away from his violent dad Ronny, Sandra and Jamie take him in. He shares Jamie’s bed and both boys discover their sexuality.

When this happens the audience utters an involuntary “Ahhhh”. It’s that kind of play. Initially, a lot of its joy comes from the character of the mouthy Leah. Her early offhand remark of “kids are cunts” sets the tone, and her rendition of “It’s Getting Better” by Mama Cass is simply lovely. But the centre of the play is the gently blossoming relationship between the two boys.

Jamie and Ste explore their emotions with all the awkwardness of any teen, and they make you forget about the other issues that Harvey includes in his play: domestic violence, poor education and school bullying. On the press night, which was also the day of Thatcher’s funeral, the moment when Tony spits on the floor after mentioning her name underlines the play’s relevance.

But apart from its casual nod to politics, Beautiful Thing is really a soft-hearted play about young love, and about what we say or don’t say to our parents. High points are a lovely scene when Jamie rubs balm into Ste’s scarred back, which conveys a sense of how a loved one’s pain can be erotic, and a hilarious parody of Cagney and Lacey. Pulsing with upbeat music, this is an evening which balances joyous vulgarity and tender feeling.

Nikolai Foster’s bouncy and colourful revival comes with a cast that positively radiates televisual overtones: as well as Jones, Waterloo Road star Zaraah Abrahams plays Leah, Hollyoaks heart-throb Oliver Farnworth is Tony and newcomers Jake Davies and Danny-Boy Hatchard are Jamie and Ste (pictured above right). This gives the evening a glitzy feel. It’s also good crude fun, and some episodes are often surprisingly moving.

• Beautiful Thing is at the Arts Theatre until 25 May