Review: boyOGRAPHY at Social Refuge is ‘an in-depth exploration of identity and relationships’

Written and directed by Nick Maynard boyOGRAPHY follows two boys Olly and Jake as they “f**k and fall in love”.

After crossing paths at school, they find themselves inexplicably and repeatedly drawn together for years, despite both being straight.

boyOGRAPHY at Social Refuge

Right from the start boyOGRAPHY makes it clear that its primary aim is to shock the supposed mild sensibilities of the audience but arguably, it would be much more revolutionary for Olly and Jake to be openly gay and in a relationship.

The idea that two seemingly straight teenage boys are attracted to each other is not really as shocking or far-fetched today as it may have been two decades ago, for example.

This is not to say that homophobia no longer exists, or that every gay story needs to be a sanitised, coming-out narrative but rather that boyOGRAPHY sometimes misses the point with its messaging.

For instance, while there are many explicit sexual scenes, I’m not sure many people will be left clutching their pearls and “running back to the 1950’s” as the pre-show narration smugly states.

Exploring identity

Identity is one of the key themes explored within the play and although this is a worthy discussion, I’m not sure how successful it was here.

While I appreciate and agree that some people labelling their identity is more of a hindrance than a help, I think boyOGRAPHY could have really delved into why Olly and Jake feel such an aversion to identifying as anything other than straight.

This could have been an interesting way to analyse and dissect the impact of toxic masculinity on the characters and provoke conversations for the audience as well.

A small but powerful cast

There are only ever two characters on stage, so boyOGRAPHY hinges almost entirely on their relationship. Isaac Radmore (Olly) and George Bellamy (Jake) give strong performances and manage to create two individual characters, despite the audience not knowing much about either of them or their lives outside of each other.

Encompassing years of a relationship using vignettes is unique and interesting. It helps maintain the pace needed for a 60-minute run time and creates a sense of recollection within the story.

However, it sometimes leaves a little to be desired.

Oftentimes, the audience is told about an allegedly crucial event that happened off-stage, rather than living it with the characters.

Because of this, it feels as though we are getting the abridged version of an unfamiliar story.

As a playwright, Nick Maynard uses visceral and poetic language to establish his distinct voice. This is definitely one of boyOGRAPHY’s greatest strengths.

The dialogue is lightning-fast and wicked sharp, which really builds on the rapport between Olly and Jake.

However, because his voice is so unique, it is very easy to spot within the play.

At certain points, it feels very much like Maynard is using the characters to preach to the audience.

The use of sound and projections within the play was interesting and effective. It helps to keep the audience engaged and builds a world for Olly and Jake to exist within.

Tickets for boyOGRAPHY at Social Refuge

A lot of the time, it feels like boyOGRAPHY is refuting the very point it tries so hard to prove: toxic masculinity and homophobia- both internal and external- clearly still exist because these two characters are so governed by them.

While this play starts many meaningful and important conversations, it ultimately fails to treat them with the attentiveness and nuance they deserve.

boyOGRAPHY is at Social Refuge on 26th July as part of the Manchester Fringe Festival, tickets are available here