A man's squashed face in a headlock with title Glory

Glory

8 Dec - 22 Dec 2021

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Shows Archive

Meet Dan, Ben and Sami.

Three wrestlers compelled over the ropes and into the ring to fight for glory. Three men wrestling with demons, life, each other.

Jim ‘Glorious’ Glory used to be somebody. In the heyday of British wrestling, he was a colossus. Now his empire has crumbled.

Through Dan, Ben and Sami, Jim catches a glimpse of resurrection; a chance to re-establish his great name and his decaying gym. But do they want to wrestle and restore Jim’s glory? Or do they have a different fight in mind?

Only one hero can emerge.

A new play from the writer of Partition and the award-winning The Chef Show – GLORY takes us into the wrestling ring in this painfully funny, sweaty and gutsy story about what people will do to achieve glory.

Glory has been supported through Arts Council England’s Sustained Fund.

A wrestler leaning on the ropes in a gym looking defeated
Joshua Lister (Ben) in Glory credit Andrew Billington
A wrestling coach with heads spread proudly under the sign of Glory's Gym
Watch the Glory trailer here

More reviews for Glory

★★★★ THE GUARDIAN ★★★★ THE STAGE ★★★★ YORKSHIRE POST
★★★★ THE REVIEWS HUB ★★★★ BRITISH THEATRE GUIDE ★★★★ NORTH WEST END ★★★★★ WHAT’S GOOD TO DO

“It has the best stage fighting this side of the Royal Albert Hall, courtesy of choreographer Kevin McCurdy, and a keen sense of an old order being upturned.” **** (four stars), The Guardian, Mark Fisher

“This is a brave, bold production that could easily tip into racism while trying to highlight the racial tensions of modern-day Britain, but it doesn’t. Nick Ahad’s controlled, witty writing holds the production together while Rod Dixon’s direction keeps it from spilling into just another Rocky-esque testosterone comeback story… it is exhilarating to watch.” **** (four stars), The Stage, Wendy Pratt

>Nick Ahad is never afraid to confront the thornier issues of life in modern day multicultural Britain. [Glory is] entertainment with a powerful message that gets you in a headlock, hits you in the funny bone and breaks your heart.  **** (four stars), Yorkshire Post, Yvette Huddleston

Breathtakingly convincing… Rod Dixon’s direction is direct and powerful, never afraid of expressing emotion loudly and violently, nor of silence as a tool for tension or humour – and the fact that this supremely serious play is often very funny needs stating. **** 1/2 stars (four and a half stars), The Reviews Hub, Ron Simpson

 

A wrestler holding another upside down and straining in a gym
Joshua Lister in Glory credit Andrew Billington
A wrestler diving onto another laid in the ring, bathed in coloured spotlights
Watch short Glory animation