Marching On Together
Old Red Lion Theatre
4 Stars
It’s Yorkshire 1984. Macca is out of prison following several years of incarceration resulting from football hooliganism. He is released into the world which has changed. He is now very much a man out of place. His compatriots are now more involved with family and the political upheaval of the Thatcher miner’s strike. It’s a period when ‘armies’ of fans would seek to do battle with the fans of rival clubs to defend their territory and their club. Macca once a member of the Service Crew now finds his crew almost gone and the Very Young Team – a group of naïve young turks in their place. This is the world of Marching On Together currently playing at the Old Red Lion Theatre before touring.
In an interview with A Younger Theatre playwright Hughes said “I think it’s important for a younger generation of not only football fans but theatre-goers and people living in the region to look at the events from 30 years ago and think about how these affected their communities. During the miners’ strike, the shape of numerous towns changed overnight and a lot of these places are still feeling the effects to this very day. With football hooliganism during this time, many who partook in the violence (especially the younger crowd) were using match days as a further means to vent their frustration. Rather than chastise this behaviour and resign it to the darkest days of Thatcher’s era as prime minister, we should address these issues and ask why did people behave the way they did.”
Director Joshua McTaggart has assembled a terrific ensemble for Marching On Together. As Macca, Adam Patrick Boakes is an explosive bundle of rage and anger, fuelled by his incomprehension at why his friends have abandoned his beloved Leeds. Boakes brings testosterone filled swagger to the role and in the final moments of the play you could almost believe that he was set to explode.
Jim Mannering plays Jono – former army member and friend of Macca. For Jono, life is now about feeding his family and surviving the miner’s strike. His thoughts are elsewhere, and whilst he retains arms length contact with the army he has very much outgrown his association with the group.
Alex Southern and Joshua Garwood play Nathan and Tommy. Nathan is a trainee accountant and the self-appointed leader of the Very Young Team – the group that has taken over from Macca’s Service Crew. Alex imbues Nathan with so much bile and swagger that he is instantly unlikeable and the very stereotype of hooliganism. Tommy is more of a follower, for him involvement is about supporting his team and about his friends. He has been deeply hit by the pit closures and its significant to the understanding of his priorities that he has sold his tv, stereo and even his father’s watch but would not dare sell his Leeds season ticket.
Macca’s wife Linda is played by Donna Preston. Linda is now mother of Macca’s son. Fiercely protective of her son, she cannot fathom why Macca would want to return to the activities that landed him in gaol at the expense of his relationship with his son. Having started studying, she has all but decided to move on and take her future into her own hands.
Max Dorey provides a simple set of timber frame and corrugated iron. Stark and as noisy as hell when required, it is left in a mangled heap by the end of the play.
The world Of Marching On Together is a raw, realistic one. As a playwright, Hughes imbues each of his characters with harsh truth, his dialogue has incredible authenticity. It’s a world of mindless violence which all comes to nought.
As an Australian, the events of the period and the hooliganism in question were viewed at more than arms length, and so perhaps didn’t have the impact it might have had from a more native perspective. Without having lived through the period, the motivations and actions contained within the play seem incomprehensible and yet it’s a painful period in the country’s history that still sparks fierce debate and re-ignites extreme hatred as witnessed with the funeral of Margaret Thatcher.
Adam Hughes is a playwright to watch. Marching On Together is his most formidable effort yet and you can’t help but feel that there is a wealth of significant work yet to come.
Marching On Together leaves London headed for site specific performances around Yorkshire taking the play to the environs in which it is set. It will be interesting to see how those audiences view this window into their past.
Marching On Together runs until 28th February at the Old Red Lion Theatre
