Mention football to a room of homo blokes and their eyes glaze over (rippling torsos, bulging shorts aside). No surprise that expectations were high for this new play by up-and-coming talent Ben Cooper.
Footy, queer-bashing and getting pissed loom large in this darkly-comic exploration of the lives of two footy-mad lads. Sensitive Danny (Sebastian Hurtado) loves cocksure Lee (Cai O’Leary) more than a straight mate should, so when Lee bags himself a chavette named Lucy (Leona O’Sullivan) and decides to join the army, Danny’s life starts to fall apart (awww, etc).
The impressive acting belies the lack of professional credits from the young cast, the latter third of the play offering some genuinely moving performances. Special mention goes to smoky-voiced Patricia Quinn (of Rocky Horror fame), looking every inch the epitome of fierceness in a dressing-gown and heels and stealing every scene as Danny’s terminally ill mum. Her rendition of Danny Boy had some of the older (admittedly mostly gay) crowd weeping into their pints.