The Goal at The Courtyard, Hereford
The Goal scores 10 out of 10!
We went along to the Courtyard Theatre to see the truly brilliant production of The Goal, written by Nick Lane, directed by Andrea Lavio. You may imagine that a play based on a football match played in 1972 between non-league underdogs Hereford United and first division Newcastle United wouldn’t be your thing if you don’t like football. Or you didn’t grow up in Hereford. Or you weren’t even around in the 1970s. But trust me, you would be wrong – you have got to go and see this! It’s warm and moving, and utterly brilliant!
I’m too young to really remember 1972, and I don’t particularly enjoy football (although the England women’s team may have converted me). My husband didn’t even grow up in Hereford. But we laughed the whole way through, reminisced about our own teenage years, and honestly enjoyed every minute of this fantastic play.
Nick Lane’s writing once again captures those little nuances which make the characters really come to life. While their love of football brings the group together, The Goal is really a story of friendship, of a group of children growing up in the 1970s, and their coming of age. If you have ever been a teenager, you will relate to the fun, laughter, trials and emotional challenges they go through. Go see it!
The characters Bob ‘Bobby’ Fenton, Alan ‘Yorkie’ Ibbotson, Danielle ‘Dan’ Beech, Chris Brewer, Phillip ‘Twig’ Wood, and Brian Thorp are all realistically individual, beautifully played by the incredibly talented actors. We fell in love with them all. The Goal invites the audience to witness how this mismatched group of teenagers meet, bond and grow. We share their closest times of teenage dreams, emotional challenges, carefree fun, and laughter. The script, acting, and direction is brilliant – the group of characters bounce off each other with fun and wit which had the audience laughing (and at times crying) along with them.
Hubby and I rated this the best thing we’ve ever seen at The Courtyard. Would we recommend it? ABSOLUTELY! If you’ve ever been a teenager, I’m certain you will enjoy it too!
The Goal is on at The Courtyard, Hereford until 16th September. Information and tickets here.
