Pitch is a bold and joyful exploration of the relationship between football and the queer community. Winner of the Pleasance’s Charlie Hartill Fund, it will dig under the surface of the world’s most popular sport to celebrate the connectivity it can bring while giving a voice to those who still have to hide their identity when in a stadium.
Football is a language spoken internationally but the relationship between football and the LQBTQIA+ community is complex and compelling – for some it’s euphoric, for some it’s dysphoric. In the wake of the Qatar World Cup, and when 30% of football fans admitted that they’d find two men kissing at a match uncomfortable, Pitch imagines a future in which queer representation in football is more than just a debate over a rainbow armband.
Drawing inspiration from dance, drag and lip sync and combining this with research and interviews, Pitch blends documentary storytelling and devised theatre to investigate what it means to watch, play and love the beautiful game.
Nell Bailey comments, Pitch was inspired by the joy of making a queer group of friends while watching the Women’s Euros. It’s a show about community, made by our community, with a collaborative process at its core. Any football fan can tell you that the feeling of being in the stands, crammed with thousands of other people, is an incredible experience. But for those of us who haven’t always found our place comfortably in a stadium, we want to explore why. In a sport that has the capacity to silence as well as champion queer identities, we are interested in giving a voice to any and all whose sexuality has affected their relationship to the game.
