RADIANT BOY
SOUTHWARK PLAYHOUSE BOROUGH // 2025
THE DEBUT PLAY of NANCY NETHERWOOD
North-East England, 1983. As a snowstorm rages outside, trainee singer Russell and his mother Maud await the arrival of a young priest, who believes Russell is a victim of possession.
Selected by the RSC as part of their 37 plays competition, Radiant Boy is a chilling new play with music. With a sound track of traditional songs, North-East folk music and 80s New Wave, this critically acclaimed production investigates faith, shame and queerness, and finding connection through art.
★★★★★
“RADIANT BOY succeeds brilliantly, creating an experience that lingers long after the lights come up.”
WHATSONSTAGE
★★★★★
"Under Júlia Levai’s expert direction, and the faultless acting of the cast, we may wonder what it is we have witnessed."
“A Hauntingly Beautiful Masterpiece”
THE REVIEWS HUB
★★★★
“An original, neatly crafted chiller”
THE STAGE
★★★★
“Some plays creep up on you quietly, but Radiant Boy doesn’t bother with that – it walks straight through the door, sits itself down, and refuses to leave your head for the rest of the night.”
THESE THEATRE THOUGHTS
THE CAST
Russel Chapman - Stuart Thompson
Maud Chapman - Wendy Nottingham
Father Miller - Ben Allen
Steph / The Voice - Renée Lamb
THE CREW
Director - Júlia Levai
Set & Costume Designer - Tomás Palmer
Lighting - Lucia Sanchez Roldan
Sound Design - Patch Middleton
Stage Manager - Heather Smith
Musical Coordinator - Elinor Peregrin
Fight & Intimacy Director - Haruka Kuroda
Production Manager - Joe Prentice
Press Representative - KMPR
Artwork Design - Jed Berry & Patrick Swain
Marketing - Flood Ltd
Photography - Olivia Spencer
Videography - Adam Nightingale
