British actress Zaraah Abrahams will star in the role of Leah when the 20th Anniversary Production of Jonathan Harvey's Beautiful Thing runs from 13 April – 25 May at the Arts Theatre on London's West End.
From Arts Theatre:
Set during a heat wave on a rundown Thamesmead council estate, Beautiful Thing is an urban love story full of characters that abound with attitude, energy, frankness and humour. The story follows Jamie, an introvert, troubled teen whose dislike of football is reason enough for his classmates to bully him at every opportunity. Living with his pre-occupied single mum, Sandra, Jamie finds himself infatuated with his next door neighbour and classmate Ste. Ste, who is living with his abusive, alcoholic father in the flat next door, is one night beaten so badly that Sandra takes pity and lets him sleep over. In the absence of a third bed, Ste has to make do with sleeping ‘top-to-toe’ with Jamie. Much to his delight, Jamie is able to provide Ste with the comfort and reassurance he craves and also a little massage with some peppermint foot lotion.
The boys’ relationship is helped along by Leah, a sassy, Mama Cass-obsessed neighbour and Sandra’s dippy neo-hippy lover, Tony, as they discover themselves, each other and a Beautiful Thing.
This production will be directed by Nikolai Foster, and also stars Suranne Jones, Oliver Farnworth, and Jake Davies. After it's initial run, Beautiful Thing will also run in Liverpool, Leeds, and Brighton.
In the 1996 Channel 4 Films adaptation of Beautiful Thing, the role of Leah was played by Tameka Empson.
