And Did Those Feet

Bolton Little Theatre take on a play about the local football team Bolton Wonderers (The Trotters) with a visibly partisan audience, wearing their club’s colours. Written by local fans Les Smith and Martin Thomasson we are given a snapshot of what it was like for the Trotters and their pride in making the final. Bolton Little Theatre join forces with Phoenix Theatre Company in bringing out the story of the journey and the lives of the town up to the final at The Empire Stadium Wembley when Bolton Wanderers beat West Ham United 2-0 a hundred years ago in 1923. Originally commissioned by Bolton Octagon as part of their 40th Anniversary Celebration.

Director is Connor O’Beirne. The set walking into the auditorium was Lancashire red  brick terrace set at the back to set the scene. Then various scenes were played out -including the football match and the newspaper vendor stall. Either side L shaped flats pulled out. Stage Right was Ted and Jim’s House with table and chairs and hook on the wall for coats. Stage Left was Alf and Hilda’s home also with table and chairs and sideboard that housed many memories. I did wonder if this was a lot pulling out of the large trucks out each time for just a short scene. I make the observation that the stoppage did detract from the dialogue and each time the actors in the next scene had to work to get the pace back and get me engaged again. Maybe just the use of the furniture would have helped with the flow. It was the first night and I am aware that the changeover may get quicker. It looked good but maybe some things can be just inferred. The props helped with the feel and fish and chips in real newspaper is a thing of the past well remembered here. Stage Manager Michael Thomas, crew Andrew Platt and Props Ros Bell. There was a projection at the back of the stage that had bygone photos of Bolton some of them I struggled to see but also information was put up which aided the storytelling. Sound and Lighting Ashley Foster. Costumes all befitting

The play set around the football match delves into seven people’s lives and some of it is grim. They hold on to the football match as a sort of god (Messiah) - Billy Hilton played by Alex Farrar is separated from the rest as he died in the war very young. He only speaks to the audience and addresses some comment to his parents but of course they cannot hear him. Incidentally he was destined to become a great footballer. The pathos is not missed. Well done.

Hilda Hilton played by Julie Hall the grieving mother and football mad fan, even making the rosettes to sell to fans, playing the mother lost trying to hold it together and her only solace is the sideboard where her memories are kept of Billy and football. The football journey couldn’t come at a better time. Julie gave a good performance of someone wanting to communicate and unable to do so wrapped in grief with her husband played by Peter Haslam as Alf Hilton, again someone lost and unable to communicate. Peter definitely came into his own with the monologue at the match at Wembley.

Louise Ward took on the role of Martha Davenport. The girl who has no idea how her wedding will change and though it’s a rough ride and her dislike of football eventually changes thanks to her fiancé. A feisty performance from Louise. Her future husband was played Kyle Cambray whom I thought put in a compassionate, lovely depiction of a man torn between football and upsetting his girlfriend and also the heavy burden of laying off workers, some of whom he knows. He also has to manage his head-in-the-clouds socialist brother. Kyle also worked well with Joe Cunliffe who was Jim Aspinall - the brotherly love and rivalry played out before us was believable and Jim’s beliefs landing him in trouble setting his future and not in Bolton.

Last but not least is the narrator character played by Derek Darlington as Bob Scott who is a newspaper vendor. Bob moves the story along and walks – yes, walks - to each match. I loved the reference of Huddersfield, Bob’s stories of his walking stints to matches around England with always the street names in Bolton mentioned then something about the place he walks to in his clogs. Derek has comic timing and his story of being woken by an amorous sheep was just hilarious. Well played.  The cast end with William Blake’s Jerusalem with the play’s title in the ‘And Did Those Feet...’ lyric.

An evening of nostalgia and pride for Bolton. Thank you for the invite from Matthew and I.

Liz Hume Dawson, D5 Rep

 

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