Johnny, in his Brian Cox T-shirt, is bit of a geek: super bright when it comes to knowing about the universe; less so when it comes to negotiating his way through school, where he clashes with his teacher and fails to fit in with his classmates.
And then there's Hassan, also a misfit in the classroom, who reluctantly teams up with 'Space Boy' on a school project that pitches them together in an exploration of stars and constellations - and, as it turns out, of each other, as they gradually open up about long-suppressed feelings and past sadness that nobody else seems to have bothered to ask about before.
For the audience listening in, this new two-hander play - a debut by up-and-coming writer Alison Scurfield - is at turns funny and moving and, ever so gradually, it becomes truly affecting as we learn more about the reason Johnny feels so passionate about space and why Hassan is reluctant to share more information about his family.
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The cast of two, Aiden Nord and Tyler Dobbs, give such perfectly-judged performances that we're totally on board with the characters, laughing at Johnny's pernickety nature; willing Hassan on as he begins to develop similar interests and, before we know it, feeling choked up when each opens up about his inner hurt.
Described as a 'witty and tender tale about grief, growing up gay and the universe', the play packs some big emotions into its short one hour 10-minute run.
On an otherwise simple set, big screen backdrops switch the scene between school and home and, in between, show us the universe of stars or the rolling waves of the sea at night.
I loved the beach scene which has a beauty all its own: Johnny and Hassan moving in tune with the ebb and flow of waves until Johnny's love for facts spoils the moment of Hassan's flight of fancy.
As the pair share a gradual awareness, Space Boy's question of whether his growing feelings for his new friend might be reciprocated is left hanging at the end - but there's hope, and that's all we want to hear.
The play can be seen until Saturday so if you get a chance to see it then do as it's well worth 70 minutes of anybody's time.
It is part of Live Theatre's Elevator Festival, its annual platform for local talents and it consists of plays and readings which are the result of bursaries awarded and developed during lockdown.
The festival runs at the Newcastle theatre until March 26. For information about what else is on the programme, which includes The Twenty Seven Club, a first play by actor Chris Conell based on Lucy Nichol's book about both anxiety and nineties nostalgia, and a Scratch Night, see its website here.
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