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Red Pitch – West End

Chuchu Nwagu, Eilene Davidson, Adam Kenwright and Nica Burns present the Bush Theatre production
written by Tyrell Williams
Book via @sohoplace
Red Pitch – West End

The smash-hit sold-out Bush Theatre production transfers to the West End.

Tyrell Williams’ Red Pitch, celebrated by critics as a “remarkable, next-level coming-of-age story” (The Stage) transfers to London’s newest West End theatre @sohoplace.

Kedar Williams-Stirling (Sex Education), Emeka Sesay (The Power) and Francis Lovehall (A Thousand Blows) are directed by Daniel Bailey in the award-winning “energetic, artfully staged production” (Evening Standard) about brotherhood, ambition, girls, community, and what it really means to belong.

What happens when your football pitch, a place you’ve laughed, fought, and forged friendships is threatened by impending demolition? Can three lifelong friends continue to dream of stardom, or will their goals be torn down alongside their home?

Fast-paced and sharp-edged, Red Pitch is “beautifully crafted, empathetically acted and deftly directed” (Time Out). A truly powerful story packed full of joy, Red Pitch is the unprecedented winner of all five major Best Debut Play awards.

Red Pitch is the must-see play of 2024. Secure your tickets today, from £25.

★★★★★ “Tyrell Williams’ award-winning Red Pitch returns for a replay” Financial Times
★★★★★ “Magnificent. Set to become a classic” WhatsOnStage
★★★★★ “Tyrell Williams’ footie debut plays a blinder” Evening Standard

Looking for show information and content guidance?
Red Pitch Self-Care Guide and Content Warnings

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"Smart, sophisticated playwriting at its best"
WhatOnStage
"The theatrical premiere league beckons... both zeitgeisty and timelessly humane"
Time Out
"Remarkable. A next-level coming-of-age story [with a] dazzlingly charismatic ensemble performance"
The Stage
"Wonderful... a funny, affectionate and tender portrait of young male friendship."
Financial Times
"It’s still rare to see a play about young, black, working-class youths on our stages: rarer still to see one in which they are celebrated like this."
Evening Standard
“A masterclass in comedy and authenticity”
North West End
"It's the joy you'll remember"
Independent
"Fierce, affectionate and effortlessly funny"
The Guardian

Photo & video

Director
Daniel Bailey

Daniel Bailey is a director, dramaturg and writer for stage and screen. He is currently Associate Artistic Director at the Bush Theatre, London, having joined the team in 2019 alongside Artistic Director Lynette Linton. Prior roles include Associate Director at Birmingham Rep Theatre (after initially joining as part of the Regional Theatre Young Director Scheme), Resident Director at the National Theatre Studio, Associate Artist at Theatre Royal Stratford East, Resident Assistant Director at The Finborough Theatre, and on the Young Vic’s directing programme.

His directing work at the Bush Theatre includes the upcoming Lenny Henry’s August in England (co-directed with Lynette Linton) which opens spring 2023, Red Pitch by Tyrell Williams (Stage Debut Award Winner 2022) and Temi Wilkey’s The High Table (Stage Debut Award winner 2020). I Wonder If (presented with YV Taking Part) had a run at the Young Vic Theatre in late 2022 before going on a community tour, and Daniel was the Creative Associate on the UK Premiere of Bootycandy at Gate Theatre.

His work at Birmingham Rep includes Joe Penhall’s Blue Orange; Concubine; Stuff; I Knew You; Abuelo, Jump! We’ll Catch You; Made In India/Britain; and Exhale. His previous directing work includes plays with Talawa Theatre Company, Manchester Royal Exchange, New Heritage Theatre, and the New Vic.

His film and TV director credits include: Dropped (Mothers Best Child); On Belonging (Young Vic); Malachi (S.E.D); Floating on Clouds (Kingdom Entertainment Group) and Y.O.L.O. Therapy (S.E.D).

Writer
Tyrell Williams

Tyrell Williams is an award-winning writer and director for theatre, film and television.

When initially presented at Bush Theatre in 2022, his first play Red Pitch, directed by Daniel Bailey, completed a sold-out run and Tyrell won the George Devine Award, Stage Debut Award for Best Writer, Evening Standard Award for most promising playwright and Red Pitch was awarded Best New Play at the OffWestEnd Awards 2023.

Red Pitch is currently in development for a screen adaptation with Fudge Park and he has written an episode of an unnamed Apple TV+ series .

Tyrell has been named one of Deadline’s 5 rising writers to watch in 2023, and is currently on attachment to the National Theatre Studio.

In 2015, Tyrell co-created, co-wrote and directed the viral web series #HoodDocumentary which has had over 4million views on YouTube. Following its online acclaim, #HoodDocumentary eventually went on to be commissioned for BBC Three which Tyrell directed and co-wrote. Tyrell was on the BAFTA Elevate scheme 2018 and was a Broadcast Hotshot in 2016.

Cast

Francis Lovehall
Francis Lovehall co-stars in the television series A Thousand Blows for Disney+ which is currently in production. He made his screen debut in Steve McQueen’s highly acclaimed Small Axe: Lovers Rock. Other credits include His Dark Materials, upcoming Apple TV series Criminal Record and Netflix series Champion. Francis made his professional debut on stage in Nick Hytner’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Bridge before graduating RADA in 2019 For his role in Red Pitch, Francis was nominated for an Evening Standard Theatre Award in the Emerging Artist category.
Emeka Sesay
Emeka Sesay recently shot Jeymes Samuel’s The Book of Clarence, prior to that he shot the BBC independent feature Pretty Red Dress directed by Dionne Edwards. His previous credits include The Power for Amazon, The Novels That Shaped Us for BBC 2 with Russell Tovey, Top Boy for Netflix and Armando Iannucci’s David Copperfield alongside Dev Patel, Hugh Laurie, and Tilda Swinton. In 2016 Emeka appeared in Shadowman as well as BAFTA nominated short films Samuel613 and Goodnight.
Kedar Williams-Stirling
Kedar Williams-Stirling stars in the Netflix series Sex Education. His television credits include Steve McQueen’s anthology series Small Axe for the BBC and Amazon, Will for TNT, the History Channel mini-series Roots and Wolfblood. Kedar’s stage credits include playing Young Simba in The Lion King (Lyceum), Big White Fog (Almeida Theatre), Welcome to Thebes (National Theatre), The Dutchman and The History Boys.

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