26 February
At about the same time that this evening’s show, Good For A Girl, was kicking off at Malvern Theatre, the women’s football World Cup winners, Spain, were doing exactly the same against the European Championship winners, England, at Wembley Stadium. A crowd of nearly 50,000 fans reflects the rapidly increasing popularity of the women’s game, one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with many of the England Lionesses having become household names as a result.
Whilst representation of women’s football in theatre has been largely limited to small-scale, local productions in the past, Becky Deeks’ new play, directed by Lucy Wild, is approaching the end of a regional tour which aims to further raise the profile of women’s football and the issues it continues to face. As a father to two daughters who grew up playing grass roots football in Herefordshire, I was both interested in and intrigued by what this play has to say. Much like the celebrating England fans trooping away from Wembley, I was also pleased with this evening’s performance.
The premise of the show is simple: Queensgate, a fictional team of amateur females, embarks on an historic and unprecedented run to the latter stages of the FA Cup. The play follows five members of this team as they face battles both on and off the pitch, each with their own story arc: Kim, the captain, played by ex-England and Leeds United youth player Elizabeth Hope, is the inspiration and driving force who unites the team; Gabi, the star player, struggles with a dysfunctional family and absent parents; Courtney, a teenage single mother, struggles to balance childcare with her sporting passion; Liv, who succumbs to a career-threatening torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), has to undergo a long and painful rehabilitation, whereas newcomer Naomi has the difficult task of integrating into a settled and closely-knit family of players. The football itself actually seems to be the easy part.
The characters’ personal struggles mirror the very real problems and prejudices faced by real-life players, as well as highlighting the fundamental and ongoing failings at the heart of women’s football – a significant gender pay gap, enormous financial disparities between the men’s and women’s game, a lack of understanding around menstrual cycles and their impact, misogyny and sexism from without, abusive and predatory managers within. The title itself hints at the prejudice female players face and yet this play bravely and unflinchingly tackles these themes through some hard-hitting storylines interspersed with humour, warmth and solidarity as the bonds between team-mates are both tested and strengthened. This all takes place within a simply constructed but effective set, where portable changing room lockers and bench seating are reconfigured to suggest different locations. In addition to showcasing some silky skills with a football (not easy on a raked stage), scenes from the pitch are delivered with imagination and some impressive choreography, arranged to a pumping, hip-hop soundtrack. Each act opens with some original and thought-provoking poetry too. There is an admirable energy and enthusiasm from all the cast members here – this is a heartwarming and enjoyable performance which, even with some adult language and themes, appeals to a wide audience.
I woke up to the news this morning that an Australian radio broadcaster has been sacked for misogynistic and derogatory comments about the Matildas, the nation’s women’s football team. It seems that at a time when negative attitudes and discriminatory behaviour towards women seem, worryingly, to be on the increase, we need plays like this more than ever. Luis Rubiales, take note.
★★★☆☆ Tony Clarke 27 February 2025
Photo credit: Nicola Young
