Same Team
★★★★★ Unmissable!
Traverse Theatre (Venue 15): Tues 30 July – Sun 25 August 2024.
Review by Marion Geoffray
The combined frenzy of the Fringe and the Paris Olympics couldn’t be a more apt time to stage Same Team at The Traverse Theatre, directed by Bryony Shanahan and written by Robbie Gordon and Jack Nurse with the women of Street Soccer Scotland.
The play returns for the festival after a successful first run in autumn 2023 as Same Team: A Street Soccer Story (Æ review: ★★★★☆ Exhilarating). It tells the story of five very different women coming together to represent Scotland at the Homeless World Football Cup.
Hannah Jarrett-Scott, Chloe-Ann Tyler, Kim Allen, Hana Greer & Louise Ludgate. Pic: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.jpg
Feisty Jo (Chloe-Ann Tylor) is the self-proclaimed team captain and coach who picks unpredictable Bethany “The Bee” (Hannah Jarret-Scott), young carer Noor (Hana Greer), struggling mum Sammy (Kim Allan) and recently single, Lorraine “The Cat” (Louise Ludgate) to make her dream team.
The five are followed through training and the tournament, as they embark on a journey of self-discovery, hope and friendship in the face of adversity. Portrayed with talent by a strong ensemble, it’s impossible not to root for these characters. Using flashbacks and doubling, each actress brings depth and physicality to their story.
Tylor and Greer are fire and ice, while the former dominates the stage with her presence, the latter’s interpretation is more subdued and nuanced. Jarrett-Scott is a powerhouse whose impeccable timing often steals the show. With Ludgate, she forms an unlikely, and hilarious, comedy pair, The Bee and The Cat.
raw and tender
Then there’s Allan. What her character Sammy lacks in football skills, she makes up for with a raw and tender performance that binds the whole group together; she’s the glue.
The cast revels in any opportunities for audience participation and it’s undeniable that, by the end of the play, spectators and actors are indeed part of the same team. This is Shanahan’s brilliant move, to get the audience involved in the action from the start.
In the locker room, doing a Mexican wave, standing for the national anthem, or cheering the goals, it creates a raucous and infectious atmosphere akin to one you’d find in a stadium.
Chloe-Ann Tyler, Kim Allen and Hana Greer. Pic: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
Alisa Kalyanova has designed a versatile and playful pitch-like set that enhances that feeling, while Lizzie Powell tactically illuminates the auditorium and uses strobes to magnify the tension of the game. Susan Bear provides the ideal football fan playlist ensuring that Yes, Sir, they can boogie all along.
There is no time-out in a fast-paced production that is about much more than just football. Shanahan provides a dynamic and unashamedly Scottish take on the classical trope of underdogs coming together against all odds to play in a league of their own.
Gordon and Nurse’s writing is careful in the way that it articulates the voices of often invisible women. It reminds us that with or without a roof and four walls, home is where the heart is, and on this occasion the heart is on the pitch.
Whether you’re a football fan who will enjoy the many references or you’re here for girl power, Same Team shows how sport can bring us together by breaking down barriers and bringing sheer joy to all.
Running time: One hour 20 minutes (no interval)
Traverse Theatre (Traverse 1), 10 Cambridge Street, EH1 2ED (Venue 15)
Saturday 3 – Sunday 25 August 2024.
Daily, not Mondays. Various times, see website for details.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Traverse website: Further details.
ENDS
