Chichester students on Crawley stage with new musical charting the fight for women’s football

Senior lecturer Paul Ackerley said: “Chichester has produced some wonderful musical theatre over the years and we’ve never been more proud of a production than this! ATALANTA FOREVER is subtitled ‘the fight for women’s football.’ It’s set in 1920 and tells the, until-recently-forgotten-history of the spectacular rise, then stage-managed sabotage and collapse of women’s football!

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“It has been written by award-winning writer, Amanda Whittington, the most-produced stage-writer in England last year and co-produced with Yorkshire-based, Mikron Theatre Company, one of Arts Council England’s national infrastructure companies

“It’s taking place to coincide with the year that the Women’s Euros will be held in the UK, and we have been working in partnership with a number of women’s football teams from around the country including Huddersfield Town women (the musical is set in Huddersfield) and our local Super-League side, Brighton & Hove Albion Women’s marketing department.

“Our Chichester-based FA coach has even worked with actors on the pitch.

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“We are staging it at The Hawth, Crawley, down the road from the Crawley Town’s People’s Pension Stadium, home to Brighton & Hove Women and Crawley Wasps of whom many have booked to see the show!

“Mikron Theatre originated the piece with four professional actors and University of Chichester Conservatoire Triple Threat course has enabled Amanda and Mikron to turn into a musical, including commissioning new writing and new music for our large student cast and introducing choreography to the action.”

Crawley performances are on March 23, 2.30pm and 7.30pm and March 24, 2.30pm and 7.30pm.

Paul sets the scene: “It’s 1920, and in post-war Britain, women’s football is big news.

Across the country, female teams pull huge crowds in fund-raising games for wounded soldiers. Huddersfield’s Ethel and Annie take a shot at the big time.

Teammates at Atalanta AFC, they’re soon tackling new football skills, mastering the offside rule and kicking back at the doubters.

“Cheer for Atalanta as our plucky underdogs learn how to play the game, take on the legendary Dick Kerr’s Ladies – and find the toughest opponent of all is the FA. Amanda Whittington’s new musical is full of wonderful characters, passion, heartbreak, comedy and celebration and offers gems for sports fans, classicists, social historians, feminists and pacifists old and young.”

Charlotte Quinn, who plays Annie says: ‘It’s an incredibly moving piece of theatre.

“One minute you’re laughing at their hilarious antics as they cause havoc in the local cinema to sneak a peek at living legend Lilly Parr (think Ronaldo!)

“Then you’re choked when Atalanta’s Ethel is given a present of her brother Herbert’s boots following his war injury for her first appearance in front of a crowd.”

Shannon Croker, who plays Herbert and is also the assistant musical director, said: “Kieran Buckeridge’s music score is incredible and ranges from our Atalanta football anthem, to 1920s Charleston and Sambas, Soul and tear-jerking ballads. When Liria Sinani who plays Joe sings I didn’t Want To Be A Hero, there won’t be dry eye in the house.”

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