Football freshman Amanda Gegg reviews Total Football by Ridulusmus, now showing at the Barbican Pit Theatre.
Speaking as a person who knows absolutely nothing about football, I think it’s fair to say I harboured some reservations about going to watch a play named Total Football. However, as I sit down for the opening performance it becomes apparent that my preconceptions are actually a large part of what this play is based on, which makes it accessible for practically anyone.
Created, written and performed by Jon Haynes and David Woods of the Ridulusmus Theatre Company, Total Football toys with the notion that a passion for football forms a significant part of our cultural identity in Great Britain. From this, the concepts of living in a multicultural society and 'what it means to be British' are quickly put up for satirical debate, culminating in the idea that Great Britain should form a 'football superteam' to enter into the 2012 Olympic Games in order to align the public with Britishness.
Throughout the performance the two actors switch between four characters, among which there is a constant comparison to be made; either between an avid football fan and someone who feels no passion for it, or between an Argentinian cleaner trying to obtain British citizenship and a British citizen who evidently sets himself above. Haynes and Woods can definitely be commended for their stage presence and mastery of a range of different characters.
As various obstacles arise for the characters and the formation of the 'football superteam” (one of which is the fact that Scotland, Wales and Ireland don’t want to be involved), the play fast-forwards to a press conference where it’s announced that Great Britain have placed in the bottom sixteen for the 2012 Olympics football event. It’s implied that this was inevitable and as the walls of the office literally come crashing down around the characters it cuts to a tranquil scene of two of them reflecting on what went wrong.
Before the lights go down it’s suggested that us Brits can’t talk about their feelings, so we talk about football instead. This is actually a point that the audience are left to take away with them, even if they are like me, and have no interest in football.
Ridiculusmus should be congratulated on another triumph, in which they have introduced a serious point about British identity masked by comedy and satire. I'd recommend this to anyone – football fan or not.
Total Football runs at the Barbican Pit Theatre from May 18th to June 18th.
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