Set in a decrepit gym in the north of England, it sees faded star Jim ‘Glorious’ Glory and amateur wrestlers Dan, Ben and Sami confronting their demons and each other, as their lives collide – inside and outside the wrestling ring.
As British wrestling experiences a resurgence across the UK, Glory will immerse audiences into the larger-than-life world of the sport.
The unique world that British wrestling inhabits provides a backdrop to Nick Ahad’s state-of-the-nation play, as it grapples with race, identity and what it means to be British today.
Playwright Nick Ahad says:
“I used to watch wrestling when I was a little boy. I still remember the excitement of seeing Giant Haystacks fight Big Daddy at Victoria Hall in Keighley in the 1980s. But I thought British wrestling was a relic of the past. I couldn’t have been more wrong.
“Wrestling is alive, well – and as entertaining as ever. With larger than life characters and a perfect combination of sport, performance, blood and sweat, it is pure theatre. It is also the perfect arena to explore the Britain we all share today. I can’t think of a better place for drama to play out than the inside of a wrestling ring.”
The play has just started its national tour in Lancaster and will run at the Albion Electric Warehouse in Hunslet from 1-6 April.
Before that you can catch Glory at Belle Isle Working Men’s Club on Tuesday 12 March.
Glory is a co-production by The Dukes Theatre and Red Ladder Theatre Company in association with Tamasha, marking the first collaborative partnership between the three organisations. Directed by Red Ladder’s artistic director Rod Dixon (The Damned United/ Mother Courage and Her Children), it is performed by Josh Hart (Dan), Jamie Smelt (Jim Glory), Ali Azhar (Sami) and Joshua Lyster (Ben).
This post is based on a press release issued by Red Ladder Theatre Company
Photo: Jamie Smelt (Jim Glory), writer Nick Ahad, Josh Hart (Dan). Credit David Lindsay
