Revealing racism both obvious and hidden - Chichester Festival Theatre

Three years ago, it was in the Spiegeltent. Now Roy Williams’ play gets a second chance in the Minerva (July 22-August 13).

Sian says we are all going to find it even more relevant than ever.

The England vs Germany World Cup qualifying match is about to start, the pub football team is about to charge in and the TV’s on the blink. Over the next few hours, national defeat looms and xenophobic tensions rise, fuelled by the inarticulate fury of the pub team captain Lawrie and the insidious propaganda of right-wing extremist Alan. And while policeman Lee struggles to keep the peace, disillusioned squaddie Mark and Gina’s bullied son Glen are fighting their own demons.

“There were hopes that we were going to transfer to the National Theatre last time,” Sian says, “but Covid came along and scuppered all that. I think Chichester was really keen to get us back so that we can get more people in to see it than was possible in the Spiegeltent last time.

“I remember the play had a very high impact.

"That was my overriding memory and it was exhausting and exhilarating both at the same time to do it. It really was an unforgettable job. The subject matter is incredibly important, even more so at the moment. It's something that is so easy to avoid if you want to avoid it, that whole issue of racism. And also the great thing for us was that the whole cast really bonded. It is not a rarity but it's quite a rarity for everybody to bond in the way that we did and maybe that was a reflection of the tough subject matter.

“It covers so many different types of racism. You've got all the obvious stuff about racism, the racist talk. You've got the overt racism but you've also got the more insidious stuff, the everyday stuff that maybe people are not even aware of and that's what I find really interesting about this piece, the way it makes you question what we are doing and what we're saying, what we're thinking. Racism is endemic and we have got to think about it.

“And I'm really not sure it's the kind of play that Chichester gets very often and maybe that's why it had such a big impact on people. I'm from quite a rural area which is not particularly diverse. That makes it more problematic and that makes it more important that you think about racism and that you talk about racism.”

Since the 2019 production so much has happened to bring the issues into even sharper focus, Sian says – George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement, the reaction to the England penalty misses at the Euros.

“But I do think there is hope. Having worked a bit with Roy the first time round I think there is hope there. You've got just got to find it and think about it.

“With Gina it is the everyday racism that you're not aware of. She's guilty of it but she would never know. If you ask her, she would say that she is not racist. But she reveals more of it than she would recognise or is prepared to admit.

"And from another point of view you've got someone here who is wrangling 14 men every evening! It is quite a role.