Discover an extraordinary set of tales from the playing fields of the North. This brand new production from Backscratch Theatre will fly you from Bishop Auckland to Barcelona,
from Willington to London, from Crook to Peru; it will take you from the cold winters of Northern League football to the shiny-shoe sophistication of the men with the money; it will bring you nail-biting drama, comedy and songs.
All this to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the Northern League, the second oldest football league in the world, a league with teams and players that belonged to their communities and were proud to do so.
More than a story of football, this is a story of families, neighbours, friends and enemies all with dreams, hopes and fears. It is a story of knowing who you are and its importance in a changing world.
So what is the link between Crook and Peru? You’ll have to see it, won’t you? Backscratch will run a 3 hour participatory workshop in tandem with the show. Taking place in the morning of the performance, participants will have the opportunity to explore the local heritage and sporting history, get creative and design a new club to represent their area in the future.
Backscratch will work with participants to design the badge, shirt and stadium, interview the manager, chairman and star players and write the chant for this new team. The work will be presented at the performance that evening, and participants will receive a discounted ticket.
Backscratch are looking for groups of 10-15 participants for these workshops, and would like to work with a wide range of people including secondary school students, local history societies, arts groups, mental health groups and groups with learning difficulties.
The project has been supported by Arts Council England, Great Aycliffe & Middridge Partnership, Creative Dar-lington, East Durham Creates and Jack Drum Arts.
6th October – Newton Aycliffe Youth Centre, 7pm
7th October – Greenfield Arts Centre, Newton Aycliffe, 6.30pm
11th October – Woodham Community Centre, Newton Aycliffe, 7pm