Written and Devised by the Company
PITCH
November Theatre’s second show, PITCH, is a bold, joyful, goal-scoring exploration of the relationship between football and the queer community. Winner of the Charlie Hartill Pleasance Fund for Fringe 2023, the show went on to tour to Manchester, Bristol and London, culminating in a performance at Stamford Bridge for Football Pride 2024.
Devised from conversations with hundreds of LGBTQIA+ players, fans and professionals across the UK, PITCH helps us imagine a future in which queer presence in the beautiful game is more than just a debate over a rainbow armband.
Praise for the show’s Edinburgh Run:
‘PITCH really has it all’ ★★★★★ Theatre Scotland
‘Pulsating choreography and slick stage design results in a production with a huge Impact’ ★★★★★ Theatre & Tonic
‘A pleasure to witness. You need not know a thing about football to understand what goes on in this stirring and spirit-lifting production’ ★★★★ London Theatre One
’Fun and upbeat’ ★★★★ Theatre Weekly
“PITCH represents the dawning of a new age in football’s history...an inspirational piece of theatre that paints a picture of inclusivity’ Stage
Winner of the Charlie Hartill Theatre Fund 2023
HOW WE MADE THE SHOW
PITCH was inspired by the joy of watching football in queer communities, a hunger to start playing again, and a curiosity about the community that football fosters amongst queer people.
“We spoke to hundreds of queer folk across the UK – fans, players, teams, and even chairs at the Women’s Super League. Our cast are also members of the queer community with a relationship to football. So, we took those interviews and the cast’s experience, and spent a total of 4 weeks making loads of stuff inspired by those sources. We’re talking full on referee drag, some improvisations that made us cry with laughter, and more scenes than we have room for in the play. Throughout the process we looked at what we had and started to shape a show – finding a story that investigates multiple queer relationships to football through the eyes of a grassroots team, that also pays homage to the vast and complex history of queer relations to football. The result is a show that has a narrative heart, and has grown out of queer theatre traditions in the form of drag, lip sync, and stylistic disruption.”
-Nell & Ellie
THE TEAM
PITCH is Written and Devised by the Company
Conceptualised by Nell Bailey & Ellie Roser
CAST
Bill - Elijah Harris
Squid - Ethan Peters
Kate - Eleanor Rattenbury
Aimee - Elizabeth Hope
Clo - Meg Lewis
TEAM
Director - Nell Bailey
Set & Costume Design - Ellie Roser
Sound Design - Esther Kehinde Ajayi
Associate Sound Designer - Emily Darley
Lighting Design - Martha Godfrey
Associate Lighting Design - Xander Kovacs
Movement Direction - Maisie Newman
Associate Movement Direction - Jerome Scott
Assistant Director - Holly Gibson
Dramaturge - Martha Watson Allpress
Executive Producer - Kamila Serkabaeva
Originating Producer - Sarah Verghese Productions
Produced by November Theatre
Hackney WFC
“As a woman, in a queer space, sport has been fundamental to all of our survival I would say”
Adam Hayworth, founder of Out and Out Football
“I think football needs to be for all, in order to progress with the sport. I think it grows as a sport, and gets more interesting, if it is for all.”
EDINBURGH - A NOVEMBER THEATRE CO-PRODUCTION WITH PLEASANCE THEATRE TRUST & SARAH VERGHESE PRODUCTIONS
TOUR - THE TOUR WAS A NOVEMBER THEATRE PRODUCTION SUPPORTED BY PUBLIC FUNDING FROM THE NATIONAL LOTTERY THROUGH ARTS COUNCIL ENGLAND & UNITY THEATRE TRUST.
