Teddington Theatre Club's (TTC) production of Ella Hickson's 2011 play Boys at Hampton Hill Theatre began last night (Tuesday, 20 January) and it was nothing short of spectacular; all the actors presented acting skills you would expect to see on the West End.

The play, which explores the lives of four boys facing the end of university, consists of six characters: Timp (Joe Evans), Benny (Barney Healy-Smith), Sophie (Chloe Hunkin), Cam (Charlie Lacey-Harrison), Laura (Charlotte McCormack), and Mack (Jacob Taylor).

Having started my first year at university nearly ten years ago and knowing the fear of finishing university without a plan, I was excited to see how the show would depict university life, and I must say it was super relatable.

While the play was written in 2011, TTC Director Josh Clarke says it remains very relevant to the modern day, and he therefore decided to stick to the original script, despite the existence of an adapted version.

This means that there is some language used that may not be acceptable today, as well as strong language, references to drug use, and adult humour. So, I would not recommend bringing your kids to see this show.

In his Director's Notes, Clarke writes: "Everything is about to change.  That is the pulse running through Ella Hickson's Boys. As the heat rises, so do the stakes of a generation that was promised the world and handed a bill instead.

"Boys is edgy and, in my opinion, a very unique piece of theatre that will absolutely get you thinking. The play is a powerful and candid look at the chaos, camaraderie, and complex relationships inside a university flatshare - with a hell of a lot of bin bags thrown in for good measure."

The play is a portrait of a generation on the edge, and TTC did an excellent job of portraying this from its marvellous casting to its set staging, costumes, and choice of music.

Performed on Hampton Hill's small but intimate Coward stage, TTC's set (which stays the same throughout) is an authentic replication of a classic uni flat kitchen. Consisting of rubbish bags spread across the floor, dirty dishes piling in the sink, balloons, and empty and full alcohol bottles, the set is reminiscent of what my uni flat often looked like the night after a party.

The music used throughout the play fits perfectly with the plot with the audience being welcomed in to Blur's Girls and Boys.

Kicking off the play, we see character Benny strolling into the kitchen in a dressing gown while yawning, again suggesting that we are witnessing the aftermath of a wild party.

Brney Healy Smith plays Benny in TTC's production of 'Boys' (Image supplied)

Without speaking, Benny (Healey-Smith) begins to throw out some trash and make himself a bowl of Coco Pops, which, while appearing mundane, certainly brought me back to my uni days.

Now, Benny, I would say, is the least stereotypical student-like character (if you call student life more partying and less studying) and probably more like me when I was a student, as he attends all his lectures, received a first for his degree, and doesn't say yes to every party he's invited to.

He seems a keen advocate for protecting student rights such as protesting the council to collect the bins on time – a big issue that lingers in the outskirts of the plot and the set through a pretend window – but while I admire his determination, I sometimes found him slightly annoying, a bit of a party pooper, and somewhat pushy as he frequently pushes his friends to be like him rather than allowing them to be themselves.

Nevertheless, he is clearly a nice boy, and Healey-Smith does an excellent job of remaining serious even during the constant comical scenes that appear throughout the day. Moreover, he remains in character even in scenes overtaken by other characters present and eyes would not be on him.

Next, we're introduced to Timp (Evans), who enters the stage rocking a fantastically high mohawk and wearing tiny, tight fluorescent pink hotpants with the words 'SPANK' sprawled across his bum and no shirt.

I would say that Timp is definitely the funniest character (though all the characters had the audience laughing throughout), and I must applaud actor Joe Evans, who has appeared onscreen for the BBC, for his confidence in wearing next-to-nothing throughout much of the play.

Timp is also the character who seems most reluctant to grow up, despite being the oldest at 30 and not actually a student, but has clearly had a rougher night than Benny (who did not attend the previous night's shenanigans), yet is ready to party again while cracking open a beer and searching for another E (ecstasy) pill to take.

During my uni experience, I definitely met various Timp-like characters, those who just want to live the student life forever, and I'd say there are a few in every year group in every uni; this is something I loved most about the play, it is so authentic and relatable and projects a sense of nostalgia.

Next to take the stage with a hilarious entrance (no spoilers) is Cam (Lacey-Harrison), a young cello prodigy, dressed in dinosaur pyjamas and clearly hungover.

Charlie Lacey-Harrison (left) plays Cam and Joe Evans (right) plays Timp in TTC's production of 'Boys' (Image supplied)

Actor Lacey-Harrison adopts some of the more serious moments of the play, and while developing a sort of existential crisis, I must say he does an excellent job of using emotive facial expressions and performing deep soliloquies.

While this scene is incredibly comical and had the audience laughing out loud throughout, it explores the serious issue of confusion surrounding consent – again something I found very prevalent while at uni – as Cam and Timp hint at one of the characters sleeping with a virgin 17-year-old who clearly had a lot to drink at the party the night before.

While Timp and Cam find the situation funny, Benny highlights that the girl was underaged and not in a position to consent to the act, and I'm glad that he highlighted this, as so many people still do not understand what counts as consent.

Queue Mac (Taylor), probably the most negative and sarcastic character in the play who, despite the odd humorous moment, never seems to have anything positive to say.

jacob Taylor (right) plays Mac in TTC's production of 'Boys' (Image supplied)

Mac has a deep attitude towards life and growing up, and Taylor did a marvellous job at remaining stoic throughout the play and adopting a somewhat 'bad boy' persona.

The first female character to appear is Timp's girlfriend, Laura, the classic ditsy and naïve blonde, and McCormack did an excellent job of portraying Laura as humble and sympathetic yet hilariously witty.

Finally, we are introduced to Sophie (Hunkin) who adopts the typical pretty and posh Surrey girl archetype which dominated a lot of my uni experience in Leeds and dressed in a stylish Y2K attire, which I saw so many girls don while I was a student. She is the kind of girl that every boy wants, and every girl wants to be.

Hunkin, in my opinion was the best among the cast, unsurprising as she is currently training at Unseen Acting School, due to her ability to cry realistically on queue (which happens a lot – she's labelled as "always crying") and her use of incredible facial expressions; in one serious scene, she was even able to make her lower lip quiver during an emotive soliloquy.

I also must applaud Hunkin's confidence in projecting her character's sex appeal, not being afraid to show off her bra after pouring water over her tight white top and being overly flirty with one of the boys.

Chloe Hunkin (left) plays Sophie and Charlotte McCormack (right) plays Laura in TTC's production of 'Boys' (Image supplied)

The First Act is full of humour, and one of my favourite scenes is when Timp and Laura mimic the infamous Sex and the City scene when Samantha covers her naked body head to toe in sushi- though minus the nudity.

In this scene the characters are enjoying a fancy-dress party, and I loved how Timp was dressed as Peter Pan as, like the fairytale character, he refuses to grow up.

While the first Act reveals the characters struggling with coming to terms with nearing the the end of student life, the end is left on a dramatic cliff hanger, foreshadowing the much more intense second Act.

As with the first, the Second Act begins with just Benny looking stressed and tired.

And this is where we see just how worried the characters are about saying bye to student life.

"What would you do if the look in some old guy's face told you that being young was as good as it ever gets?" says Cam.

This Act also ramps up the intensity as the cliff hanger of the previous Act is not mentioned until later on, the characters become frantic as they start taking drugs, and a student protest surrounding bin collections offstage escalates.

I particularly love this scene as the choice of music matches what is going on onstage.

For example, the use of Darude's Sandstorm, a techno tune with a beat that gets progressively faster, mimics the intensity of the scene as the characters become more manic and the protest more violent. The increase in beat pace perfectly matches the increase of thoughts darting around each character's mind as the drugs kick in, and the sudden end to the song represents the sudden end to the scene. At this point every character is involved in their own frantic act and it is difficult to know where to look, an excellent choice by the director.

In fact, I love TTC's choice of music, including Pendulum's Tarantula, throughout the play, as they are all tunes I danced to as a student and add to the nostalgia also provided by the plot, setting, and script.

While the second Act is a bit heavy, it still has moments of humour and eventually ends on a more positive note with all questions answered and loose ends tied as the final scene again begins cyclically, with Benny entering the stage alone and tired, giving the sense that the second Act was perhaps just a dream.

Overall, TTC's production of Boys was spectacular, and I loved every minute of it. The level of acting, directing, sound production, and stage and costume design was so professional, and I couldn't recommend seeing the show more.

As the packed-out theatre last night proved, the play is suitable for recent graduates and young and older adults alike, as it is relatable to all groups.

The production is running at Hampton Hill Theatre until Saturday, 24 January, and tickets can be bought here.