A play celebrating kindness
Meet Monique Touko, director of the new stage version of The Boy at the Back of the Class.
Onjali Q Raúf’s award-winning novel The Boy at the Back of the Class shares what it’s like to be a child refugee (someone who has fled their home country because of war or the threat of violence) starting a new life in the UK.
After a difficult journey escaping conflict in Syria, nine-year-old Ahmet starts school in England, where he gradually begins to make friends with the people in his class.
The inspiring story of friendship, kindness and bravery, told by Ahmet’s classmate Alexa, is now coming to life as a play, which opens at the Rose Theatre in Kingston, near London, before touring around the UK until 1 June. Monique Touko, the play’s director, told The Week Junior she quickly realised how much children love the book. This meant Touko felt she had “a responsibility to tell the story in a way that’s entertaining and fun, but also heartbreaking and accurate”.
Touko hopes that after watching the play, people understand that “being kind goes a long way” and audiences feel encouraged to help charities supporting refugees. She says,
“In your own small way, whether you’re a young child or an adult, you can make a difference.”
Touko describes the show as “heartfelt and vibrant”, and says she is very proud of its diverse cast. Nick Ahad, who adapted the book for the stage, told The Guardian newspaper, “If one audience member feels like they’ve walked around in someone else’s skin, and their response to people looking for a home is more compassionate, it will have been worth it.”
The Boy at the Back of the Class is suitable for anyone aged seven and over.