by Zahid Fayyaz

This is the premiere of an adaptation of the popular 2020 Eliza Clark novel, Boy Parts. A comic thriller, this is the story of Irina. She is a Newcastle-based photographer of young men, and is either a violent killer or a damaged fantasist. It’s never clear which one is the correct interpretation of the main character. This makes the show more fascinating, as it leaves the audience and reader without a sure footing.

This theatrical adaptation by Gillian Greer is a stylised monologue, with screens and videos (designed by Hayley Egan) helping to put across the damaging nature of Irina’s world around her. Aimee Kelly gives a great and expressive performance as Irina. She is funny in one breath and repulsive in the next. The clever one-liners help lighten the very dark plot, and make it a more palatable watch. The moments of violence, when they come, cause gasps of shock in the audience, showing the visceral nature of such material. As a satire of the art world, it perhaps doesn’t succeed all that well, given the well-worn nature of such a topic. However, it works a lot better as a psychological thriller, detailing the breakdown of Irina into potentially murderous violence.

This was a thought-provoking and entertaining evening, and the play comes highly
recommended. A production this slick should have a well-deserved future life elsewhere.

Boy Parts runs through 25 November.

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