- What inspired you to write and create Good for a Girl?
Becky: Football has always been a huge part of my life. As a kid, I spent most weekends
playing football down the park with my dad and brothers. Then, Crystal Palace came into
my primary school to coach girls-only sessions. My primary school was unique and had
a girls football team – we reached a school cup final and played at Selhurst Park the
same day as the Women’s FA Cup final. It was the first time I remember seeing women
playing football competitively.
In 2005, the Women’s Euros were held in England and my football coach at the time
took us to watch England play. The publicity was so bad, I’m not sure I even knew I was
watching the Women’s Euros! I do remember my coach saying ‘that could be you one
day’ and me replying ‘I’ll need to have a real job too.’ The following year, my team began
to compete in women’s leagues and played in the FA cup for the first time. This felt like
the pinnacle of women’s football.
The change in women’s football in the past 10 years is staggering. I love it; it’s also hard
not to be a tiny bit jealous of any girls born now! I do know how lucky I am that I played
football, despite the odds. But, the misogyny in football is still terrifying. Good for a Girl
came from a place of anger – a need to challenge what’s going on, not only in football but
also in the wider world.
It was also written to celebrate women in sport. There is nothing like being part of a
team. I love how a team lifts each other, challenges each other, supports each
other…there is an honesty and a depth of friendship in a good team you don’t get in
many places.
Lucy: As a Director, I wanted to inspire, entertain and highlight the inequalities women
still face in today’s society. So many of us have wanted to be in spaces but are told they
aren’t for girls or women, the football pitch is one of those and sadly there are many
others. I don’t think this should be the world we live in. We want to inspire people that
united we can make a difference and make a positive change.
- For the writer, are there any specific historical or personal stories that influenced the play?
Becky: So much of the play is based on real life stories and experiences. I interviewed
incredible professional and grassroots players anonymously as part of the research
process and these stories have filtered into the play, as well as my own experiences as a
player and as a fan of the game. Good for a Girl doesn’t explore the history of the game
but rather looks at what it is like to play for a competitive, non-professional team now.
A lot of personal stories have found their way into the script. One example would be the
team leave the pitch at half time complaining about rocks in the ground. I once played for
a club that decided to give the women’s team their own pitch (this is almost unheard of!).
To make the pitch playable, the whole team spent 3 days collecting stones and rocks out
of the ground! I remember being so happy (you got paid £1 per bucket) but I look back
on that and can’t quite believe we did that! Every time it rained the stones would come
up again and slide tackles became a lot more risky!
- For the director, what was the most challenging aspect of bringing this story to life
on stage? How do you use movement to tell the story?
Lucy: I see this as an exciting opportunity rather than a challenge, it’s such a gift to get to
work on a story that is so important and relevant. When we started talking about this play
we wanted audiences to actually see women playing football on stage. We wanted
people to see women being physical and strong and kicking an actual ball! As a director
it’s a dream to get to explore ways to make an audience feel they are really at a football
match (maybe minus the rain and cold!) and share the lives of these women. Everything
in this play is inspired by real life stories. A lot of the stories are not just one woman’s
experience but many.
Movement plays a huge part in telling this story, as a movement director who loves
football, getting to explore ways to show football on stage – and hopefully new ways not
seen before, is such a great experience. Add to that working with an incredibly talented
cast and creative team means we can be really ambitious, truthful and powerful.
- How does the play challenge or shift perceptions of football, and what role do the characters play in changing those perspectives?
Becky: Since the Lionesses won the Euros in 2022, women’s football has grown hugely in popularity and there has been a real shift in how female footballers are perceived – some of the players we interviewed back in 2021 have become household names; they are viewed as heroes. The play celebrates women in football and recognises them as athletes who have as much right to the game as their male counterparts.
At the same time, it shines a light on the inequalities women experience. Through the characters, we see football isn’t always glamorous and it can be really hard work for women balancing caring responsibilities and careers. It reveals the fact clubs continue to prioritise their mens and boys teams and the resilience it takes to be a woman competing in that space. I also hope it shows how much a group of women can achieve when working together.
Lucy: Perceptions are beginning to shift and change but we still have a really long way to go. We see how tough women have to be when playing but also dealing with everything that goes on around the actual match.
Our characters show what happens when women unite and support each other on and off the pitch. I think women can overcome and achieve anything but our characters have to deal with a lot of challenges – because this play is inspired by real stories and that is the reality for many women in everyday life. These characters highlight just how hard (physically and mentally) football players have to be – especially female football players. I think also it shows that football can be a place where you can find a community, a support network – our characters are playing in the unfunded lower leagues but this is true for whoever is playing at whatever level.
- Alongside the tour, you’re running workshops and working with grassroots women’s football clubs — can you tell us about that work and what impact you hope it will have?
Becky: There’s no point putting on plays if it’s the same theatre-goers that come and see
everything. I love those theatre-goers and I’m grateful for them (I wouldn’t have a job
without them!) but theatre should be for everyone. I particularly want to see all young
people able to access theatre and finding that theatre can be a place for them to be part
of a family and able to express themselves. For me, this is what football can also do.
There are so many similarities!
We have partnerships with Aston Villa Foundation, Derby County Community Trust and
other various youth and community groups. We are using both drama and football skills
to explore some of the themes of the play and to open up important conversations. We
are also then bringing lots of these young people into the theatres, which is very exciting.
Lucy: When we were in the early stages of developing this play we had a group of girls
from a secondary school come along to watch a first draft. They didn’t play football in
their school and after seeing the play, their teacher went back to school and changed
that – the girls at that school now play football. It doesn’t just have to be football, it could
be any sport or activity, why should girls be doing one sport and boys a different one?
We are also offering theatre workshops because we believe in the power the arts have
to change lives, the lasting impact they can create and we believe everyone should have
access to those opportunities. Both football and theatre are for all ages and experiences
and you can start at any point, we wanted to make it a bit easier to help people get
started.
In the early stages I mentioned previously we also had a girl who did play football come
to see the show – she now does theatre so hopefully we can open both doors to people.
- If there was one thing you could change about how women’s football is represented in the media and in theatre, what would it be?
Becky: It’s hard to pick just one thing! I do get really annoyed with people who hate
women’s football and form really strong opinions on it and yet never watch any women’s
teams play! I really would love to see women being presented in a positive light as
strong, powerful and competitive.
Lucy: That it’s not as exciting – it really is! How strong, tough and resilient female football
players are, just like many women are in real life.
- How do you want audiences to feel when they leave the theatre?
Becky: Inspired to go and support their local women’s football team! Or even excited to
start playing football themselves! I also want them to hold their friends closer and find
that place where they belong and can be themselves.
Lucy: I hope they will have recognised some of themselves in some of the characters
and story we share, to know that we all face this and are never alone. We aren’t equal
until every woman is treated equal. Alongside all this I hope they will have had a laugh,
cheered along and been reminded that women can do anything, we are incredible! And
hopefully they will fancy giving football or a sport a try, or anything that has been seen as
a male dominated space – we have every right to be there too.