Live Theatre’s successful football drama The Red Lion, starring actors Stephen Tompkinson, John Bowler, and Dean Bone is gathering critical acclaim with multiple five and fours star press reviews on its run in London’s West End.
The Red Lion, written by Oscar nominated writer Patrick Marber and directed by Live Theatre’s Artistic Director Max Roberts, is playing at Trafalgar Studios, in London’s West End until Saturday 2 December 2017, following its sell-out run at Live Theatre earlier this year.
Set in the dressing room of a semi-professional football club in the North East, The Red Lion is shows behind the scenes drama in a Northern league football club between coach, manager and a young player. Its a powerful, funny and touching locker room drama that reaches beyond the beautiful game, exploring contrasting ideas about loyalty, ambition and what it takes to win, from the perspectives of three different generations.
Jim Beirne, Chief Executive, Live Theatre said
“It is great to see another Live Theatre play successfully transferring to a London stage, and I am delighted that The Red Lion has so many four and five star reviews for its current run at Trafalgar Studios, London. Credit must go to Patrick Marber for a great script, the wonderful actors, the design and producing team, all led by Max Roberts, Live Theatre’s Emeritus Director.”
Through Marber’s own personal experiences with non-league football, The Red Lion goes far beyond the pitch to look at hope, obsessions and the desperation of humanity to be a part of something. It is a 2 piece that resonates in contemporary society – the two older characters are conflicted representatives of a pre and post 1980s, one possessing a sensibility formulated by a before-Thatcher England, the other by its aftermath. In the middle a youngster is dealing with that fall out.
The Red Lion is suitable for ages 16+ and is at Trafalgar Studios, Whitehall, London from until Saturday 2 December 2017.