New Theatre has kicked another goal with their latest production, JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS.
Written by Tom Wells and directed by Alice Livingstone, JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS is a soft booted comedy about football, friendship and fumbling your way through life.
Set in the changing room (a tremendously evocative set by Tom Bannerman) of Barely Athletic, a bottom-of-the-ladder queer five-a-side soccer team in a local LGBTQI+ amateur league in Hull, England, JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS’ driving force is publican Viv, player captain coach sidelined by the Lesbian Rovers, determined to turn her fortunes around and invigorate and inspire her four male team mates, one of whom is her recently widowed brother in law, Joe, the team’s token straight guy.
Joe’s physical fitness amounts to flab and his grief threatens to engulf him so Viv is particularly focused on coaching him, cajoling, jollying, tough loving.
The tough love spreads to the other players, Beardy Geoff, a busker hoping to enter Hull’s hall of fame and take his place beside The Housemartins, Everything But The Girl and Roland Gift, but their seems to be some levity with Danny, the most competent of the cohort and new recruit, Luke, a librarian whose ball skills are not evident on the paddock.
Luke’s hand-eye coordination seems focused on Danny, and it’s reciprocated, but the romance is encumbered by Luke’s lack of social graces and a concealment by Danny that he finds hard to reveal.
There’s a theatre adage that claims casting is eighty to ninety per cent of producing a successful show and Ms. Livingstone proves that one hundred per cent in this production.
Emma Louise is terrific as the tough love Viv, a contrast in bombast and compassion, as is Nick Curnow as Joe, a gentle giant boilermaker bereft and adrift. Jared Stephenson is marvellously eccentric as Beardy Geoff, captive to his penchant for sex with opposing players and his passion for street performance.
Isaac Broadbent as the centred, secret-harbouring Danny and Sam Martin as the gormless Luke make an attractive pair of star crossed lovers.
This unabashedly, utterly charming, feel-good story is life affirming and a heart felt confirmation of the value of community.
JUMPERS FOR GOALPOSTS is kicking goals till March 4 At New Theatre, 542 King Street Newtown
Thu – Sat 7:30pm, Sun 5pm
Sat 25 Feb & Sat 4 Mar 2pm only
Running time: 2 hours including a 15min interval.