THE tale of pioneering women in football will be brought magically to life when canal-based Mikron Theatre drop anchor in Solihull.
‘Atalanta Forever’ promises to be an action packed play of two halves full of live music fun and laughter with no plans for extra time!
Written by Amanda Whittington, it’s 1920, and in post-war Britain, women’s football is big news.
Across the country, all-girl teams are pulling huge crowds in fundraising games for wounded soldiers.
Huddersfield amateurs Ethel and Annie take a shot at the big time.
Team mates at Atalanta AFC, they’re soon tackling new football skills, mastering the offside rule and kicking back at the doubters.
Audiences are invited to go along and cheer for Atalanta as the plucky underdogs learn how to play the game, take on the legendary teams of the era – and find the toughest opponent of all is the FA.
The play is based on the true story of one of three women’s football teams in Huddersfield in post war Britain.
Atalanta Ladies Football Club was formed in 1920 ‘to provide games for the women of Huddersfield, to foster a sporting spirit, and a love of honour among its members.’
During the Great War several women’s football teams had sprung up around the country, usually based in factories or munitions works, and proved a great success in raising money for hospitals, war widows and so on.
In the wider football world, the growing popularity of women’s football was now causing concern.
The FA even saw it as taking support away from the men’s game and on December 5, 1921, they banned women’s teams from using FA affiliated grounds.
Playwright Amanda is one of Britain’s most performed playwright.
She said: “I was an 11-year old footballer in the 1980s, the only girl who played in the boy’s village tournament and I vividly remember being ‘advised’ to stop because it wasn’t appropriate.
“I wanted to write about the battle the women’s game has fought to survive and prosper – and perhaps to tell the 11-year-old me she was right?”
Mikron will be dropping anchor at The Bridge House, Lock 2, Lapworth Top Lock, Church Lane, Lapworth, Solihull, B94 5NU, on Wednesday, August 25 at 7pm.
For tickets, visit https://mikron.org.uk/
