Pete on Tour - Part 4: Theatre's Coming Home

“Football is theatre but with different rules”

Here we are at the start of the tech week and soon to open the show. We have finished rehearsals, part of me feels ready and another part of me realises I had a lot of expectations in terms of being directed and discovery that just didn’t happen. What I wanted for certain moments wasn’t there. But that’s ok because they weren’t promised. I can’t complain that reality has not always met my expectations. And to be fair these are very fine points about emotional journeys in scenes. In no way am I poo pooing the group. After all, we have achieved something great:

A full singing, dancing and instrument playing new musical (by professionals who have never done musicals before) in 4 weeks! 

But also watching football together (something unusual for me) really made me reflect on this. England reaching the final of the European Championship made me reflect on how all things change. While we should feel our feelings fully, we also need to let them go.

The surge and hype for Eng-er-land to win the Football was so massive, so elated that the commentators were literally talking about this group of young men healing the nation. That a small group playing a game can make millions of people feel better is incredible.

How many people believe “Football’s coming home”? They believe it, they need it. Therapy won’t fix me, but football will. Games are not trivial things.  That is the strength and power of national identity; the shields, the flags, the tribal paint,  the us vs them, the Royals in the box giving it the seal of approval. And as all things go up, all things must come down. We are in the comedown of that emotional national upper. But was it a crushing defeat? Should we languish in despair? By all means no, I saw two teams playing a good game. Eng-er-land achieved more last night than they have in a long time, no? Let’s have some closure and enjoy the whole thing warts and all. 

And it’s the same for theatre: the hype, the buzz can elate you and rip you from reality and so can the lows, the nerves, the doubts, the performance anxiety. Coming in too early, too late, a monologue that’s missed it’s flow is a goalie who went the wrong way. Football is theatre but with different rules.

Now I feel like we are coming to the final, only it will be the same match played again and again until it’s gone. So I have to enjoy it, come what may and not get so hooked that part of me dies. Theatre is coming home. 

Hugs,

Pete x