Review: Love It If We Beat Them at Live Theatre Newcastle
Love It If We Beat Them
Live Theatre Newcastle – 12th September 2024
Invited| Review by Stephen Stokoe
Images: Von Fox Producctions
Back at Live Theatre for the first time in like what seems forever but covering some familiar ground with this imaginative and very funny piece of local theatre. This play was the first play I reviewed at Live Theatre when it launched their 50th Anniversary programme and I was delighted to be given the opportunity to see it again.
The very interesting thing this time is that although the piece is set in a fixed period of time, I got to see some of the harder hitting commentaries in the piece from a very different perspective because the political landscape has changed dramatically since the last time I saw it. Some of Leonard’s struggles with people’s changing attitudes seemed to land differently when viewed from the current political situation we have in 2024.
It does not make the points that playwright Rob Ward makes any less poignant – just different.
The story concerns long in the tooth socialist Leonard (David Nellist) who has designs on becoming his local constituency’s MP while trying to forget or ignore some of the traumas and drama that has befallen him, his family and his friends over the preceding two and a half decades. Len, as he is known to his friends and family, has the gift of the gab and is not backward in coming forward with his views and opinions. His best friend, and surrogate son-figure is the affable but rather tragic Michael (Daniel Watson) who to add to his impertinent youth, is a mackem.
The back and forths between the curmudgeonly Len and his younger friend is very believable and as the interactions with all of the characters as the story unfolds.
Hoping to extinguish Len’s political aspirations is the Labour Party’s preferred candidate, Victoria, who has been shipped in from her life in Manchester to contest what, at the time, would have been a very safe seat deep in the so-called red wall.
The backdrop for all of the action is a series of football result from the season when Newcastle United, under the stewardship of King Kevin Keegan was challenging the might of Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United for the Premiership title.
The set (Alison Ashton) is the lounge of a bar or perhaps a working men’s club complete with a working pool table and a dart board but with some very clever lighting (Anna Reddyhoff) and sound (Matthew Tuckey) it is equally believable as the corporate box at St James’ Park, a marriage guidance counsellor’s office and Seaham Harbour among other locations.
I imagine I mentioned this the last time I reviewed it but despite Ward hailing from Liverpool, he has really tapped into the colloquialisms of Newcastle and delivered some very witty conversations particularly for Leonard to deliver. Bex Bowsher’s direction is subtle but very effective. The characters taking on the role of commentator for the various matches that take place during the piece is particularly as inspired as it is amusing.
Eve Tucker is an aloof and strong independent woman as Victoria and completing the cast is Jessica Johnson who puts in a masterful performance as Jean, the long suffering wife of Len.
There are some very interesting themes touched upon in this play including the long term effects of grief, the fallout of the miner’s strike which is still felt in these parts to this day, and the frustrations felt by a certain type of straight, white male who feel emasculated, pushed aside and unheard as modern life and changing attitudes seemingly pass them by. And of course, we all know what happened at the point in time when Newcastle United were challenging Manchester United in that particular season.
There is a lot to be taken from ‘Love It If We Beat Them.’ There is humour, intrigue, pathos and a lot more to it than meets the eye. The performances from all the cast are superb and it would be unfair to single anyone out for praise but in an act of wilful solidarity for my fellow Mackem I am going to give the star of the show to Daniel Watson as Michael.
It does help to have a general knowledge of football and particularly Newcastle United but the other storylines that run alongside are just as entertaining and stand on their own too.
I would quite happily watch this play a third of fourth time and encourage everyone to get along to the delightful Live Theatre on Broad Chare to enjoy a thoughtful and very clever night at the theatre.