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The Beautiful Game

The story of a group of Belfast teenagers from both sides of the religious divide during “The Troubles.”

More information

Description

  • Full Length Musical
  • Drama
  • 120 minutes

  • Time Period: 1960s, 1970s
  • Target Audience: Teen (Age 14 - 18), Adult
  • Set Requirements: Unit Set/Multiple Settings
  • Cautions: Mild Adult Themes
  • Orchestra Size: Medium

  • Performance Group:
  • High School/Secondary, College Theatre / Student, Community Theatre, Professional Theatre

  • Accolades:
  • Winner! Critics' Circle Theatre Awards for Best Musical (2000)
Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton’s The Beautiful Game is the story of ordinary people in an extraordinary situation. The award-winning musical follows the fortunes of a group of teenagers from both sides of the religious divide during “The Troubles” in 1960s/1970s Belfast.

Under the watchful eye of team coach Father O’Donnell, John and Del both show enough promise to pursue careers as professional footballers. They’re just two regular teenagers who dream of nothing more than girls and football. When they find love with their girlfriends Mary and Christine, they become swept up in the events that engulf their community and, as time passes, each has to decide whether or not to follow their hearts.

Ben Elton tells their story with wit and compassion, while Lloyd Webber’s evocative score combines heart-searing ballads and stirring anthems with the sounds of Ireland. An inspiring option for both teen and older audiences and performers, this powerful and passionate musical is a joyous celebration of the freedom that love can bring.
REVIEWS:

"Poignant...Lloyd Webber's score, with its echoes of Irish folk and ballad music, is his best since Aspects of Love."

 Michael Billington, The Guardian

"Lloyd Webber has written a memorable, passionate score and Elton’s book is genuinely touching and filled with humour."

 The Stage

Premiere Production:

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton’s The Beautiful Game made its official world premiere on September 26, 2000 at the West End’s Cambridge Theatre. Directed by Robert Carsen, with choreography by Meryl Tankard, the production ran for almost a year and was honored with the Best Musical Award at the Critics’ Circle Theatre Awards in 2000.

The show was subsequently reworked by Lloyd Webber and Elton and was known for a few years as The Boys in the Photograph; it received a workshop by students at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in April 2008. A full-scale production later played in Canada in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Toronto.

The musical was produced for the first time in Northern Ireland in February 2012 by the award-winning cross-community youth chorus Fusion Theatre and was subsequently seen at Ireland’s Waterford Festival of Light Opera. Other productions include a successful London fringe staging at Southwark’s Union Theatre in spring 2014, produced by Paul Taylor-Mills, as well as the Australian premiere at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in August 2016, which was directed and choreographed by Tankard.

Characters

  • Casting: 12M, 5F
  • Casting Attributes: Ensemble cast, Roles for Teens, Expandable casting, Strong Role for Leading Woman (Star Vehicle), Strong Role for Leading Man (Star Vehicle)
  • Chorus Size: Medium

  • FATHER O'DONNELL
    JOHN KELLY
    MARY McGUIRE
    THOMAS MALLOY
    DANIEL GILLEN
    BERNADETTE
    GREGORY O'SHAUGNESSY
    DEREK COPELAND
    CHRISTINE WARNER
    NEW ANNOUNCERS
    REFEREE
    UNPLEASANT LOOKING WOMAN x2
    HEAD ORANGE MARCHER
    WOMAN AT THE ORANGE MARCH
    POLICEMEN x2
    PRISON GUARD
    PRISON INMATES
    MEN AND WOMEN OF BELFAST x22-ish
    CHILDREN x4

    • Available Material

    Name Price
    Rehearsal Material Shipped a minimum of 3 months before the last performance. This must be hired as a condition of the License to produce this show.

    25 Libretto/Vocal Scores
    2 Director Scripts
    2 Piano/Vocal Scores

    		$550.00 +$135.00/pm
    Orchestral Material Shipped a minimum of 1 month before the last performance. This is optional.

    2 Full Scores (Act 1 & Act 2)
    1 Woodwind I (Flute, Piccolo, Penny Whistles)
    1 Percussion
    1 Keyboard I
    1 Keyboard II
    1 Keyboard III
    1 Guitar
    1 Bass Guitar
    1 Drums
    1 Violin (Five string preferred / Four string optional)

    		$350.00 +$135.00/pm
    Perusal Material Shipped immediately. This is optional. Order Now

    1 Piano/Vocal Score
    1 Libretto/Vocal Score

    		 $24.00

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