Swansea Boy

Swansea Boy is a coming-of-age play of deep humanity, gentle humour, and unwavering compassion. In 1980s Swansea, a young man discovers his sexuality and finds the courage to tell his parents that he is gay. While finding his way as an artist in London, he reconnects with a young man who becomes the love of his life, only to face heartbreak and loss when he discovers his partner has contracted AIDS.

Reviews:

“Last evening I watched the play Swansea Boy. Wow! Absolutely fantastic. Beautifully written by Sean Mathias with an exceptional cast and housed at Volcano Theatre. Immersive theatre at it’s best. I laughed and I cried. A story of love and adversity set against the backdrop of Gower, London and Morocco. Engaging and alluring” ❤️ – Instagram review

"Tender, gritty, and deeply human, Swansea Boy is a raw portrait of a young gay man’s journey through desire, grief, and self-discovery, told with aching vulnerability and the kind of honesty that lingers long after the curtain falls." **** - netgalley review

"Swansea Boy is a play set between the 1980's and 1990's and follows Colin, a young Welsh man who dreams of being a painter... The play's themes of sex and love were overt from the very first word. This play is filled with reflections, humor and tragedy, and the life of Colin and those he loves makes it an emotional read." ***** - netgalley reviewer

About the author:

Sean Mathias is an internationally acclaimed, award-winning director of theatre and film. He has worked extensively at the National Theatre, in the West End, and on Broadway, as well as in theatres across the United States, Australia, South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, and New Zealand. Sean has directed two feature films, Bent and, more recently, Hamlet. He also directed two productions for NT Live, including Harold Pinter’s No Man’s Land. In addition to directing, Sean wrote the ground-breaking BBC film The Lost Language of Cranes and is the author of several plays, including his Swansea-based work A Prayer for Wings. His play Swansea Boy, which he first workshopped 35 years ago at the National Theatre Studio, is now receiving its long-awaited debut production. Sean lives on the Gower Coast with his partner, Paul, and their three dogs.

© 2025 Aurora Metro Books (E-bog): 9781911501275

Release date

E-bog: 14. maj 2025