John Boyega 'shines' in Woyzeck play

John Boyega in Woyzeck at the Old Vic

John Boyega has made his first return to the stage since his career went stellar in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

In Woyzeck, at London's Old Vic theatre, he plays a young British soldier in 1980s Berlin during the Cold War.

While the play is a dark experience to sit through, Boyega's performance has been widely praised. The Guardian described him as "compelling to watch".

We first meet Woyzeck in the grim Berlin apartment where he lives with his partner Marie (Sarah Greene) and their baby.

Unable to afford the rent, he takes part in a paid medical trial and his world starts to fall apart.

The play is adapted by Harry Potter and the Cursed Child writer Jack Thorne from German playwright Georg Buchner's original work, which was unfinished at his death in 1837.

Here's a look at what some of the critics have been saying:

Read the reviews in full: The Guardian, The Stage, Evening Standard, Whatsonstage, The Telegraph, and The Times .

Woyzeck is at the Old Vic, London, until 24 June.