In an elite, all-male boarding school, the leaders of tomorrow are moulded. Their experiences make or break them, either turning them into stronger men or damaged souls. In All Boys, playwright Xavier Hazard gives us a tapestry of high school stories. From the sweet and awkward to the abusive, it is a brutal right of passage.
Charting the six years of high school, we follow a year group of students at a boarding school who arrive as children and leave as young men. Fraught teenage years are amplified by the all-male environment and lack of adult influences. Innocence is trampled on, friendships forged and lost, and psychological scars cut deep.
The abuse in All Boys is rampant. Primarily that done by the students themselves. Older students picking on the weaker younger students, or boys betraying each other to try to survive, often repeating a cycle of trauma. It’s a pressure cooker that forms tight bonds, not all of which are healthy.
Hazard’s sprawling tale is told over two hours in short, sharp scenes. It’s as if we’re overhearing conversations as we pass by in a school hallway. These children are rambunctious but often bewildered by the claustrophobic world they’re placed in, which becomes their whole existence for the next six years.
Played by a cast of eleven young actors, queer coming of age is a theme that repeats in different ways. From the gay kid who couldn’t hide in the closet if he tried, to the boys keeping their affairs on the quiet and the revealing pubescent homophobia. Sexuality is rife in this same-sex environment, and Hazard uses that to explore their emotional wants and needs. As one of the boys says, the thing he really misses is genuine hugs.
The constant scene changes threaten to become repetitive but the switching of storylines give the play a natural rhythm. By not narrowing in on one or two tales, we only really skim the surface of the details, but the all-round excellent performances go a long way to filling in the gaps. Of note are Harry Stacey’s Hugh, a boy who is sexually assaulted in his first year, and who spends the next six years managing that trauma. Toby Carey has the most disturbing role as the quiet Scott, a boy who is befriended by the rougher older students and has to learn to live with the consequences of his actions. Ashan Kumar’s Will, who comes into the narrative like a breath of fresh air, has a bold, slippery quality that is instantly enagaging. But these three are just the tip of the great talent on stage.
Director Mehhma Malhi, in her theatrical directing debut, coordinates this horde of characters with finesse, drawing impressive performances from each actor without a hint of insincerity. Hazard’s script is vibrant and abrassive in its use of language, and even though the 6-year structure imposes a deliberate pace on proceedings, manages to keep the show flowing. While some narrative beats feel familiar, they are handled with a refreshing realism that skips the melodrama for the most part. The finale, a moment of student activism, feels somewhat contrived, but the emotional impact is necessary and real.
As a piece of independent theatre, All Boys is instantly impressive. For a budget-tight show full of debuts and recent drama school grads it is extraordinary. This is just great theatre.
By Chad Armstrong
All Boys plays at KXT on Broadway, Sydney Australia until September 21st, 2024.
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