Interview: 'We've Raised Each Other's Game': Actors Lauren O'Neil and Nathan McMullen on BOYS FROM THE BLACKSTUFF

Alan Bleasdale’s TV series Boys from the Blackstuff has been adapted by Sherwood writer James Graham into a theatre production of the same name, which has gained critically acclaimed reviews from both the press and audiences.

Originally opening at Liverpool’s Royal Court in 2023, before transferring to The National Theatre in 2024, the production is currently running at the Garrick Theatre in London’s West End before embarking on a UK tour in 2025.

BroadwayWorld sat down with Nathan McMullen and Lauren O’Neil, who play Chrissie and Angie in Boys from the Blackstuff, to find out more about the production.

Boys from the Blackstuff is currently running at the Garrick Theatre in London. How are the shows going?

Lauren: People are still loving it. There’s a great response all the time and people really go with it.

Nathan: I think what’s nice is, it’s a similar kind of space to the Royal Court. It’s a nice combination of what we found at the National and how it started at the Royal Court…I think it really works at the Garrick, which is why I think again, people are still really enjoying it. We still get people telling us at stage door, which is really nice. That was something that always happened at the Royal Court. People wanted to tell us about their experience and the same is happening at The Garrick, which is lovely.

What has it been like transferring Boys from the Blackstuff from Liverpool's Royal Court to The Garrick?

Nathan: The Olivier [National Theatre] is a phenomenal space - unbelievable to play on. We’re extremely proud of the fact that we took that show that started in Liverpool to the National and we’re now here in the West End. Super proud.

I saw Boys from the Blackstuff multiple times at Liverpool’s Royal Court. It is a phenomenal production - the story is very powerful and resonates with the audience. As a cast, how have you approached the scenes to continue developing the production and your performances throughout each theatre run?

Lauren: You do have to put yourself in it every time. The text is there - It’s so incredibly well written. What James [Graham] has done with what Alan [Bleasdale] has done, it’s there for you, but every time you have to be ready to go the whole way really. You’re trying every time to be like this is the first time this has been said and the first time they’ve had this altercation. New every time.

The characters are so well known to audiences from the TV series, which starred Michael Angelis as Chrissie and Julie Walters as Angie. How did you approach the characters and develop them to interpret them in your own way?

Lauren: I think I tried to take it as new. I was 100% aware of Julie’s portrayal [of the character], but I didn’t want to go back and look at it again, because I didn’t want to be influenced in any way. I wanted to do this as a new play. The characters that I am playing are in this play. I’m not trying to do a version of the original. I wanted to do it as fresh, like it was a new version of Angie. The characters are so in our psyche though that somewhere you cannot be influenced - but I tried to do it as a fresh play, rather than a version of it. That’s the way I approached it.

Nathan: Very similar for myself. I had seen snippets of the original, but I had never watched the original until earlier this year. Before we started last year, I didn’t watch it. I consciously didn’t watch it for the same reason. I knew it [the play] was an amalgamation of each episode in the series to form this. I loved going back and watching it [the TV series]. Because of the way James had adapted Alan’s original series, we were able to approach it like a new text or a new play.

There have been some cast changes from the Liverpool’s Royal Court production to the theatre runs at the National and the Garrick, alongside returning cast members like yourselves and actors such as Barry Sloane as Yozzer. What has it been like working with the cast in both productions?

Lauren: They’re amazing. It’s one of the happiest that I’ve been on a job. Everyone has been so good. Looking around and working with the other nine people and having admiration for them, for their craft and watchability. It feels really good to be part of that. Everyone is so good. As people, they’re just awesome - wonderful people. I feel so honoured and privileged to be part of this.

Nathan: I concur. Anyone that I speak to, the main word that I use is how proud I am…Like I said before, the fact that it started in Liverpool and transferred, brought this show of all local actors down to London, down to the National, to the Olivier, to the Garrick. Everyone who was on it previously, who’s come on it this year, like Lauren said, everyone has brought something to the play that we can all be proud of. Everyone has done an amazing job. It was funny last year for me, working with Drew Schofield [who played George in the show's original run at Liverpool's Royal Court.] Drew is the grandfather of my children, so that was lovely. It was lovely that we got to work together. My kids coming to see it and seeing their dad and their grandad together.

Lauren, you don’t just play Angie in this production - you play six different characters. What’s that like?

Lauren: It’s great. Angie is my through line. Playing a character like Jean, who is just there for one scene, it’s nice to do the antithesis to what I’m going to be doing in the second half when Angie gets to breaking point. It’s great to be able to play a range of characters, but also have the journey of Angie all the way through and then swap in and do some lighter bits. It’s great playing different people. I’ve never done it before, multi-roled in this way, so I’ve loved it. It’s been great.

Nathan: I was out with my best mate on Sunday and we were talking about a few things and he didn’t know that Angie and Jean were played by the same actress.

Lauren: Really? That’s boss!

Nathan: I was like, how did you not know that?

Lauren: That’s brilliant!

Is there anything you would like to add about Boys from the Blackstuff?

Lauren: I just have a real sense of pride.

Nathan: One of your earlier questions about what it is like working with the cast - I think that is the biggest reason why I think we’ll all come away extremely happy with the job we’ve done on this, because of the camaraderie. How well we all work together and how much of an ensemble piece it is. What has been nice to read in the reviews is that a lot of it mentions how in the ensemble cast, there isn’t a weak link. We certainly feel that as well. We think that is something that is so pivotal to the success of this piece, is how much everyone has stepped up and how much we’ve raised each other’s game.

Boys from the Blackstuff is at the Garrick Theatre, London until 3 August 2024.

The show will also tour throughout the UK to venues including the Theatre Royal Windsor, Richmond Theatre, Theatre Royal Bath and Liverpool Empire Theatre in 2025.

Photo credits: Alastair Muir