The Red Lion FC is an English non-league side who have dreams of the big time. Read more …
However, the club’s manager, Kidd, will stop at nothing to realise his own ambitions of achieving money and fame. So, when a talented young player, Jordan, joins the club and ‘plays like a God’, Kidd sees his golden opportunity. However, kit-man, Yates - club legend and footballing ‘hero’- has other ideas. A ‘Clash of the Titans’ ensues between Yates and Kidd over the future of Jordan and the football club.
Patrick Marber’s hit play unfolds like a Greek Tragedy, transcending ‘the beautiful game’, in a tale of heroism, hubris and handballs!
Rapture Theatre shoots, and scores, in a soccer drama by Patrick Marber that even non-sports fans will love.
There’s a richness to The Red Lion that transcends the business of winning and losing, of success and failure, a richness you don’t get when the football is the focal point. Emans and team (Frances Collier in particular needs commending on an evocative design) have delivered a fine Scottish debut for it.
Marber’s play becomes a powerful tactical game in which everybody ends up on the losing side.
For lovers of the beautiful game, The Red Lion is an intriguing piece of theatre. Its valiant effort to unearth the corruption beneath the apparent honour of the game is commendable. It’s power falters in minor moments, but it doesn’t stop the production feeling accessible to all.
Under Michael Emans' focused direction, the cast are undoubtedly in a class above what might be expected of a production touring generally small venues in central Scotland.
There’s nothing superfluous in Marber’s tight-yet-flexible script, however. The writing glows with poetic insights into the meaningless momentousness of football and its descent into venality.
New production of Marber's hit comedy suggests deeper philosophical tensions.
Patrick Marber--The Red Lion
On Tour, from Wednesday May 8, 2019, until Saturday June 22, 2019.
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