The Ghost of White Hart Lane
★★★☆☆ Honest
Underbelly, Bristo Square (Venue 302): Wed 31 Jul – Mon 26 Aug 2024
Review by Hugh Simpson
Bruised Sky’s The Ghost of White Hart Lane at Underbelly Bristo Square is a well put together piece of footballing history with Edinburgh connections.
Despite coming from Musselburgh, John White of Spurs and Scotland is not as well remembered in these parts as his team-mate for club and country Dave Mackay. This might be because he never played senior football in Edinburgh (although, according to this play, he would have played for Hibs, had Falkirk not outbid them to the tune of a crate of whisky).
Cal Newman in Ghost of White Heart Lane. Pic: Rob White
It may also be because he died tragically at 27 after being struck by lightning on a golf course. However, he is clearly still much-loved by Spurs fans, and not just those old enough to remember him.
One person who doesn’t remember White is his son Rob, who was only a few months old at the time of his father’s death. He wrote a book with Julie Welch that has led to Martin Murphy’s play, in which Cal Newman plays both father and son as their lives unfold in parallel.
The term ‘ghost’ not only refers to the absence of the father in the son’s life, but also refers to John White’s nickname, a reference to his ability to drift into space unnoticed by the opposition. (Whether the nickname was much used by anyone other than headline writers is a matter for debate).
The two lives are contrasted elegantly in a pleasingly structured narrative, that is honest about John White’s faults and his struggles with depression as well as his footballing career. The pressure to live up to a reputation (whether your own or that of your family) is keenly portrayed.
strangely static
The depiction of relationships, absent fathers and masculinity means that this is not just for football fans. Indeed, the representation of actual football is perhaps the least strong aspect of the production.
Despite Newman’s performance having some convincing physical elements, much of the production is strangely static, with Murphy’s direction perhaps less convincing than his writing on this occasion. There are certainly too many moments where Newman is sitting down, which causes problems of visibility in this acting space.
Newman is thoroughly convincing as both father and son. Other characters are by necessity given much more broad-brush characterisations, and there are moments when the constant switching of accents does not quite come off. John White’s accent, despite the odd stray vowel, is pretty good, however.
Matt Powell’s video design is impressive and helps establish the years of the various scenes, which avoids unnecessary exposition.
This is one of many clearly thought out elements in a production whose emotional honesty packs something of a punch.
Running time: One hour (no interval)
Underbelly, Bristo Square (The Dairy Room), Teviot Place, EH8 9AG (Venue 302)
Wednesday 31 Jul – Monday 26 August 2024
Daily: 1.25pm
Details and tickets at: Book here
Website: www.bruisedskyproductions.com/
Facebook: @BruisedSkyProductions
Instagram: @Bruised_Sky
X: @BruisedSky
ENDS
