The Euros isn’t the only football drama coming up.
Red Ladder Theatre Company presents The Damned United at York Theatre Royal on Wednesday 16 June at 7:30pm.
The critically acclaimed theatre production is adapted from David Peace’s bestselling book charting Brian Clough’s disastrous 44-day period as manager of Leeds United.
The play is directed by Rod Dixon and adapted by Anders Lustgarten, with set & projection design by Nina Dunn, lighting design by Tim Skelly and sound design by Ed Heaton.
The Damned United is performed by a cast of three actors, Luke Dickson (Brian Clough), David Chafer (Peter Taylor) and Jamie Smelt (Sam Longson/Syd Owen/Jack Kirkland et al).
Rod Dixon, artistic director of Red Ladder, says “As a story The Damned United has it all – passion, power struggles, tragedy and a classic anti-hero in Clough – which lends itself brilliantly to theatre.
Audiences are given a fascinating insight into the troubled but brilliant mind of a flawed genius – who to this day, remains one of the most controversial figures in sporting history.”
The rights for The Damned United were donated by David Peace to Red Ladder Theatre Company for £3.68 – a penny for each page in the novel – as a show of support for the Leeds-based theatre company when it received a 100% cut to Arts Council Funding.
He says, “Football itself, at every level, is drama, theatre and spectacle played out before a living, breathing and usually very partisan audience; this is what Anders, Rod and everybody involved brought to the story which neither the book nor the film could do.”
Tickets cost £12 to £15 and can be booked through the York Theatre Royal website.