In the interval, I thought that To Sir, With Love was going to remain as a fine, if unmemorable show for the remainder of its running time. But the first half was secretly masterful, as it deftly set up a second half that (repeatedly, I’m unafraid to admit) left me in tears, warmed and surprised. What a production this was.

As our leading man, Philip Morris was very good, and settled into the role through the two hours. Nerves potentially made his characterisation seem superficial early on, but worries about that were soon dismissed. Same goes for the young company that populated much of the stage. But it is in the supporting adult cast that I should have guessed the measure of the show. Routinely excellent from the off, each brought subtlety to what could be rote staff room stereotypes.

I could devote the whole review to listing the ways in which Matt Crosby (who offers the comic stylings of Zach Galifinakis for the stage), Jessica Watts (who delivers an important, nuanced representation of a difficult political position) and especially the excellent Polly Lister heightened the audience’s enjoyment. Each was perfectly cast. But they were bright lights in an otherwise muted first half.

When a series of decadent dresses descended on to the set, and photographs of the kids at a local museum were projected on to the backdrop, to indicate the start of the second half, something shifted. Suddenly, the relationship between Ricardo Braithwaite (Morris) and his students, built up quite gradually in the first half, beds in and what it means becomes much more palpable.

Subtext being rendered as text can sometimes be off-putting, but it works here. The story has been adapted for the stage by Ayub Khan-Din, and all of the politics (personal, academic, national) are woven into the story brilliantly. None of the speeches feel out of time, but all feel pressing and relevant today.

I’d heartily recommend the show. Only one of its emotional beats in the second half, in which Seales (a natural, affable Elijah McDowell) collapses, feels overdone. It is the only moment where the production expects too little of its audience. Barring that, the emotional power of the show bests that of any other show this year.   ★★★★★     Will Amott     28th april 2017