THEATRE / with Matthew Myers Scrummy: Matthew Marrs in Odd Shaped Balls.
A new play from Britain tackles the challenges facing professional football players who happen to be gay. THOMAS HITZLSPERGER, Robbie Rogers and Ian Roberts are but a handful of high-profile professional footballers (from different codes) who have successfully come out. But few still do and, in the case of English soccer player Justin Fashanu, it can have tragic results. Fashanu was shamed, vilified, accused of sexual misconduct with minors and eventually took his own life. For gay footballers, there’s a much greater battle off the field than on, and Odd Shaped Balls tackles this in an inspiring one-man production. It’s not just about coming to terms with sexuality, it’s about doing it in a competitive, alpha-male environment where anything can be exploited as a weakness. Written by Richard D Sheridan, Odd Shaped Balls follows James Hall, a young, star footballer with the world at his feet. Superficially he’s a typical rugby lad with a steady girlfriend and flourishing career, but when he’s publicly 32 DNA
outed by his male ex, James is forced to face his teammates, family, fans and the media. This is a journey of self-discovery in a world where sports and homophobia and inseparable. It’s a demanding production for an actor. Matthew Marrs, currently starring in the UK version, not only plays James but also his manager, dad, girlfriend, best mate and lover. Director Andrew Twyman has crafted the play with a poignant blend of humour and drama. Twyman says that Odd Shaped Balls doesn’t just confront homophobia in sport, it “stands up and shouts, and lays bare every nuance of locker-room culture”. In fact, the play comes at a time of significant change in the UK for both football and the LGBTI community. Only last year, rugby stars Sam Stanley and Keegan Hirst came out, and a special LGBTI Charter was released in Scotland. Richard Sheridan says he was inspired to create Odd Shaped Balls after witnessing homophobia towards an openly gay player at university. After researching the cases of gay players such as Welsh rugby star Gareth Thomas, the playwright penned Odd Shaped Balls in 2013 and took it to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
There, the play became an overnight success, winning five star reviews. But Sheridan says the most satisfying responses came from the audience members who were moved to come backstage to express their gratitude. Clearly, the writing and the production struck a raw nerve for many. The UK production has now played in Camden, Colchester and Brighton, with Sheridan reworking the play through Paper Plane Theatre. For those unfamiliar with British football, Odd Shaped Balls takes its name from the phrase given to rugby balls and an old locker-room tune; “His name is Jimmy Hall, he plays with odd shaped balls. So put your bums against the wall, here comes Jimmy Hall!” More than just a story about being true to yourself and following your heart, Odd Shaped Balls asks its audience how we would feel if our sexuality prevented us from playing a sport we loved and, by extension, from living out lives as we choose.
Odd Shaped Balls plays at The Old Red Lion Theater, Islington, London until June 25. For more: oldredliontheatre.co.uk