Review: Of Mice and Men at Bolton Octagon is ‘a moving tribute to Steinbeck’s classic’

John Steinbeck’s 1937 Novella of kinship within economic fragility is remarkably nuanced in a 2025 environment. With widening political divisions and the all-encompassing cost-of-living crisis, Steinbeck’s characters feel more relatable today than one might expect.

Director Sarah Brigham shares this insight, assembling a diverse and talented cast that brings Steinbeck’s characters to life in a fresh yet respectful way. However, the production wasn’t perfect.

There were a few issues with audio mixing and missed opportunities in the set and visual design, which resulted in a turbulent revitalisation of Steinbeck’s
1937 classic.

Of Mice and Men at Bolton Octagon

The play follows the plot of Steinbeck’s original, which is centred around George and Lennie, two migrant ranch workers searching for employment in California during the Great Depression.

I was sceptical of how Brigham would bring such a period piece to the modern world, a scepticism which was further shared amongst the crowd of The Octagon Theatre upon the announcement of a last-minute cast cancellation.

This soured the growing excitement amongst the crowd, the phrase ‘Reading off script’ was met with brief sighs and grumbles.  However, the Sceptics were quickly silenced as we were introduced to the play’s main leads, Liam King’s ‘George’ and William Young’s ‘Lennie’.

George and Lennie

The two share an opening dialogue of dreams and aspirations (and rabbits) which captivated the audience through their electrifying chemistry. King portrays the frustrated loyalty of George with expertise, whilst Young brings enough childlike innocence to Lennie that the pair begin to physically embody the characters off the page.

The rest of the cast are equally fantastic in their portrayals, with John Elkington delivering a powerful and authoritarian performance as ‘The Boss’ but also stepping in and filling the role of ‘Whit’ with professional grace.

Script in hand, he played off each line like he had written them himself, a professional who delivered a fantastic performance given the circumstance. The standout of the show, however, had to be Benjamin Wilson’s ‘Candy’, whose raw and emotional performance really highlighted the play’s underlying themes of ableism and division in such a powerful way.

Great costume design

The simplicity of Jess Curtis’s costume and set design bolsters the believability of these characters, the myriads of dusty cowboy boots and hats really amplify the immersion, and the constant presence of these towering background barn doors undoubtedly transports you to rural 1930s California.

Each mention of George and Lennie’s American dream is accompanied by a soothing projection of swaying reeds and backing acoustic track. The small-scale set enabled quick scene change, which helped maintain a persistent flow throughout the play, this only being upset at one pivotal point.

This point was unfortunately at Candy’s most emotionally charged scene, in which Tom Fletcher’s ‘Carlson’ takes Candy’s dog by force off stage to supposedly put it down using a gun.

Several awkward minutes pass, yet no essence of struggle or gunshots can be heard. King, Wilson and Elkington exchange a few brief words of what seemed like improvisation until this is abruptly cut by a faint gunshot and a harsh dimming of the lights to signify a sudden intermission.

Pacing issues

The pacing issues in the second half were evident, with some characters introduced only to be quickly forgotten. Jeff Alexander’s brilliant portrayal of Crooks was particularly underused, with much of his dialogue either softened or removed entirely. While this may have been an attempt to make the play more accessible to modern audiences, it diminished the emotional weight of Crooks’ conversation with Lennie about race and division—one of the most powerful moments in the original text.

This sense of abruptness carried into the climactic scene between George and Lennie. Their final exchange of dreams and aspirations—arguably the heart of the play—lacked the recurring motif of swaying reeds and the acoustic soundtrack, a missed opportunity to reinforce the cyclical nature of their journey.

Despite these technical hiccups and some underutilised performances, the production remained a compelling and beautifully acted adaptation. King and Young’s portrayal of George and Lennie alone made the play well worth the price of admission, bringing Steinbeck’s characters to life with depth and authenticity.

Tickets for Of Mice and Men at Bolton Octagon

Of Mice and Men is at the Bolton Octagon until Saturday, 12th April 2025. Tickets are available here