THE smash-hit play based on the best-selling novel Boy at the Back of the Class is being staged at the Hall for Cornwall until May 2.

The moving story is about a Syrian refugee boy, Ahmet, told from the perspective of his nine-year-old classmates trying to understand events beyond their level of experience.

His refugee status provokes a range of responses from curiosity to hostility.

Ahmet’s classmates become determined to reunite him with his parents after hearing that the government is going to “close the gates,” which creates a fast-paced, riveting narrative.

They don’t fully understand what it means other than that Ahmet’s parents, who must be looking for him, won’t be able to get into the country.

So, they decide, in a beautifully innocent way, to go to the most powerful person they can think of – the queen! – and ask for help to find Ahmet’s parents and keep the gates open.

The highly engaging, high-energy show features excellent performances, particularly its young cast. They are already stars but the acting is so good I would not be surprised if they become bigger stars of future.

The audience was taken on a whirlwind of emotions as the play tackles serious themes such as the refugee crisis, bullying, and loss through a child's innocent perspective.

The Boy at the Back of the Class certainly has the ability to inform young people about complex topics without being preachy.

But the play’s powerful message of friendship, kindness and compassion in a world that doesn’t always make sense, was an important lesson for all ages.

That asylum seekers like Ahmet are people with stories and reminds us that everyone needs a place to call home.

The Boy at the Back of the Class is a heart-warming play suitable for all the family.