UNDER THE LIGHTS, OPENS TO A FULL HOUSE AT THE MAC, BELFAST, RECEIVING STANDING OVATIONS ON THREE CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS!

Josh Blair never thought he’d be into rugby, but after joining Validus Grammar, he’s hooked. Now, with his team in the semi-finals of the Medallion Shield, he faces a game-changing decision. Will he play on despite doubts, or let his team down?

Produced by c21 Theatre Company, written by Maria Connolly and starring John Travers, this poignant and important piece of theatre highlights the urgent need to recognise concussion symptoms and prioritise brain safety in all contact sports.

What the audience said…

“This was beautifully moving, funny – one of my favourite pieces of theatre I have ever seen!”

“Maria’s incredible gift for writing dialogue that effortlessly flowed, the tension, the colourful characters that John perfectly executed with aplomb – it was an absolute tour de force.”

“Great credit to all the team and to John for an exceptional performance – he had the audience captivated from start to finish.”

Critical Reviews

“What is really clever about this one man show is the way dramatist Connolly gives ninety per cent of the play to the excitement of rugby, and about ten per cent at the end to her cause, the need for assessment of head injuries on the pitch.”

Jane Hardy – Read full Belfast Times review here

“Connolly’s portrait—funny, fresh and admirably free from any suspicion of sermonising—celebrates the rugby convert’s new-found enthusiasm before providing a clarion note of caution about the dangers of the game’s bone-crunching reality and the damage inflicted on the brain from serious collisions. The tackles that threaten Josh are realised with wincing, flinching immediacy by director Stephen Kelly and the gleeful, gangly Josh in an immediately likeable, affably energetic performance by John Travers.”

Michael Quinn – Read full British Theatre Guide Review here