Book now for The Boy at the Back of the Class at the New Theatre Cardiff – plus meet author Onjali Q Raúf at Bookspace

The highly acclaimed stage adaptation of Onjali Q Raúf’s best-selling book The Boy at the Back of the Class comes to Cardiff this May – and it’s not too late to get tickets. 

Told through a child’s eyes, the smash-hit play blends heart and humour to celebrate friendship, bravery, and the simple truth that everyone deserves a place to call home. 

The production will be at New Theatre Cardiff from Tuesday 12 to Saturday 16 May.

There used to be an empty chair at the back of the class,
~but now a new boy called Ahmet is sitting in it.
He’s nine years old (just like me), but he’s very strange.
He never talks and never smiles and doesn’t like sweets
– not even lemon sherbets, which are my favourite!

After learning that he has fled his own war-torn country, Ahmet’s classmates have ‘The Greatest Idea in the World’ – a magnificent plan to reunite Ahmet with his family. An unexpected and often hilarious adventure follows, all topped off with a terrific twist. 

Balancing heart and humour, The Boy at the Back of the Class highlights the power of good friends and courage in a world that doesn’t always make sense and reminds us that everyone needs a place to call home. 

The book was the winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2019 and won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize 2019. The Boy at the Back of the Class is a a Children’s Theatre Partnership and Rose Theatre production, adapted for the stage by  Nick Ahad  and directed by Monique Touko. 

You can also meet the author Onjali Q Raúf at Bookspace on Cardiff’s Crwys Road. She’ll be signing copies of the book on Saturday 16 May at 4.30pm. You can sign up and/or order a copy of the book at bookspacecardiff.co.uk

The Boy At The Back of the Class is at New Theatre Cardiff from Tuesday 12-Saturday16 May 2026 The show is approximately two hours including interval and is suitable for children age 7+ and their families. Tickets cost from £17.50 and are available from the New Theatre’s website.

Meet Onjali Q Raúf at Bookspace, Crwys Road, Cardiff on Saturday 16 May, at 4.30pm. Register and/or order a copy of the book at bookspacecardiff.co.uk