Edinburgh Fringe.
It is very apparent that the Edinburgh Fringe was not designed with football fans in mind. The vast arts festival occupies most of August, those optimistic early weeks of the season, before grim reality sets in. It is not the time to be watching “twee Radio 4 nonsense and irritating student leotard productions”, as the comedian Alex Perry harshly but memorably puts it.
His show, The Game of His Life, was part of a noticeable trend this year, however: football shows. These ranged from small one-handers addressing heavy themes, to much bigger productions staged at actual football locations. Some will live beyond the Fringe, too.
Practically everywhere in Edinburgh becomes a venue – swimming pools, tunnels – and one novel new stage for 2017 was the East Stand concourse at Easter Road. Here Hibernian hosted their own play, A Field of Our Own, an ambitious 90-minute affair featuring 15 actors and a four-piece band.
It came about when Hibs’ community project, GameChanger, asked local theatre group Strange Town to dramatise Hibernian’s history, and the impressive result tackles wider issues such as immigration and religious intolerance. Still, nobody really knew whether football at the Fringe would actually work. “Mixing the two together hasn’t always been that easy,” admitted the play’s director, Steve Small.
Denne historien er fra October 2017-utgaven av When Saturday Comes.
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Denne historien er fra October 2017-utgaven av When Saturday Comes.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prÞveperiode pÄ Magzter GOLD for Ä fÄ tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Pirate Transmission
Broadcasters around the world are paying huge sums to screen football, but they will not be willing to invest if they cannot be protected.
Scandi Drama
Years before it was screened live in the UK, Englandâs Football League was building a cult following abroad thanks to a visionary broadcaster.
Pot Of Gold
A rare meeting between two local rivals brought FA Cup fever â and a useful financial boost â to one corner of Hertfordshire
Digital Divide
From earnest post-match punditry to being used in actual playersâ matchday preparations, the virtual game is becoming increasingly blurred with reality.
Haringey Ladder
The decision to walk off in the face of abuse has shone a national spotlight on a community club with a progressive approach
Bournemouth 0 Norwich City 0
Dean Court may have received a Premier League facelift but against todayâs visitors the home team fail to live up to their status, although the low-quality draw they play out is still somehow reassuring.
Room With A View
Hampden Park
Not In The Script
ARSENAL FILM
Out Of Place...
After another unsuccessful qualifying attempt Martin O’Neill is under pressure, while a poor Republic of Ireland squad is only getting weaker
Uncomfortable Truth
At the end of April Sheffield United surprised many people by re-signing Ched Evans, who, following a retrial, has now been found not guilty of the rape charge for which he spent two-and-a-half years in prison.
