Billy is one of those irritating little blighters you see on the street smashing phone-boxes, shouting abuse and letting off fireworks.
Who would have thought that one of them might be intelligent, sensitive and passionate? Kes is set up North (Barnsley) and it's definitely grim. Billy's life and future prospects are bleak.
He has been deserted by his father, bullied by everyone and living with a mother who pays him no attention. However, he finds a young kestrel and becomes devoted to her, spending all his time training her and studying falconry. The bird, Kes, gives him an escape from his oppressive home life and a raison d'être.
Billy is played by the talented Andrew Siddons who out-performs many of the adult actors around him and makes the character likeable and believable, revealing the cheeky scamp's deeper feelings. There are many other excellent performances, particularly Matt Jones as the cheery and compassionate Mr Farthing, the only person to see Billy's inner qualities.
This is a lavish production with a cleverly constructed set that manages to represent home, school and the outdoors. The large cast of adults and children shows us Billy's inner and outer life of bustling street scenes, school assembly and a comic book confrontation between Dennis the Menace and Desperate Dan. A touching story skilfully brought to life in a superb production.
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