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Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads

By Roy Williams

– The Spiegeltent
Overview. Skip back to tab navigationReviews Skip back to tab navigationCast and Creatives. Skip back to tab navigationGallery. Skip back to tab navigation

Overview

★★★★★

A faultless cast in a frighteningly visceral staging by Nicole Charles

Guardian
★★★★ 

Genuinely tense and exciting

The Stage
★★★★★

Without doubt the high scorer of this year's Chichester season

WhatsOnStage

Saturday 7 October. Gina, landlady of The King George pub, has a lot on her plate. The England vs Germany World Cup qualifying match is about to start, the pub football team is about to charge in and the TV’s on the blink.

Over the next few hours, national defeat looms and xenophobic tensions rise, fuelled by the inarticulate fury of the pub team captain, Lawrie, and the insidious propaganda of right-wing extremist Alan. And while policeman Lee struggles to keep the peace, disillusioned squaddie Mark and Gina’s bullied son Glen are fighting their own demons.

Premiered at the National Theatre in 2002, Roy Williams’s ferocious, funny and disturbing play takes aim at what it means to be black, white and English in twenty-first century Britain. Scoring high on foul language, threat and vulgar humour, Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads is definitely not for the faint of heart.

Roy Williams’s award-winning plays have also been staged at the RSC and the Royal Court. Nicole Charles’s recent work includes Emilia at Shakespeare’s Globe and in the West End.

Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads will be performed in The Spiegeltent, which will be transformed into a pub setting to create an immersive theatrical experience.

Important information – please read before booking.

  • This production has extremely strong and explicit language including racial slurs, which some audience members may find offensive or upsetting. As such we feel an age guidance of 16+ is appropriate.
  • Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads will be performed in The Spiegeltent, a pop-up space designed to recreate a South London pub setting for this immersive production. 
  • All seating is unreserved.
  • The Spiegeltent and bar area are licensed. 

Purchase a digital copy of the programme

Our programmes are designed to be the perfect insightful companion to the production. This programme includes rehearsal photography and biographies from the production in addition to an article from Gary Younge.

By clicking on BUY you will be re-directed to Issuu's website. The purchased programme will be available to read on their website and app. 

Purchasing a digital programme does not include the purchase of a printed programme.

Prologue.

Reviews

★★★★★

This searing, finely crafted play remains vexingly relevant, and is here given a spellbinding ensemble production by the young director Nicole Charles. Riveting

Sunday Times
★★★★★

A faultless cast in a frighteningly visceral staging by Nicole Charles

Guardian
★★★★★

The entire company is magnificent. Charles' direction is daring and runs at a velocity as forceful as the bricks that are thrown through the pub windows. There are genuinely chilling moments that set the hairs on the neck on end. It is harrowing to watch but watch it you must

WhatsOnStage
★★★★ 

Resonant and timely revival of Roy Williams’ prescient play about racism. There are some cracking performances here, particularly from the simmering Riddell and Williams, calmly trying to keep her pub from erupting. Hodgson is also memorable with an understated air of menace

The Stage

A riveting, deeply disturbing and spellbinding evening in Chichester’s new Spiegeltent. The acting is first class from everyone. You will never spend a more uncomfortable evening at the theatre. Nor, probably, will you spend a more mesmerising one

Chichester Observer

An absolute must-see. It felt like at any moment one of the audience might accidentally get caught up in it – but it was choreographed to perfection, the actors in complete control of the chaos. The frenzy so visceral that you could almost feel the spray of spit and beer on your cheeks

Portsmouth News
★★★★★

Shocking, foul-mouthed, ferociously brutal and brilliantly played. An impressive, vibrant and energetic performance by the entire ensemble, who don’t hold back any punches. Unmissable drama

Stage Review

Cast & Creatives

Cast

Cast List
NameRole

Harold Addo

Duane

Makir Ahmed

Barry

Dajay Brown

Bad T

Alexander Cobb

Lee

Rob Compton

Phil

Kirsty J Curtis

Jess

Jennifer Daley

Sharon

Martyn Ellis

Jimmy

Michael Hodgson

Alan

Billy Kennedy

Glen

Sian Reese-Williams

Gina

Richard Riddell

Lawrie

Jack James Ryan

Becks

Mark Springer

Mark

Creative Team

Cast List
NameRole

Nicole Charles

Director

Joanna Scotcher

Set Designer

Amelia Jane Hankin

Costume Designer

Joshua Carr

Lighting Designer

George Dennis

Sound Designer

Isaac Madge

Video Designer

Chris Whittaker

Movement Director

Kate Waters

Fight Director

Charlotte Sutton

Casting Director

Gallery

Gallery

  • Makir Ahmed (Barry) in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Dajay Brown (Bad T) in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • A scene from Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Martyn Ellis (Jimmy) and Sian Reese-Williams (Gina) in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • A Scene from Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Mark Springer as Mark in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Sian Reece Williams (Gina) Alexander Cobb (Lee) in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Makir Ahmed and Kirsty J Curtis in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Richard Riddell (Lawrie) in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Billy Kennedy, Harold Addo and Dajay Brown in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • A Scene from Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Michael Hodgson as Alan in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Makir Ahmed and Martyn Ellis in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Billy Kennedy Alexander Cobb And Rob Compton in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Mark Springer, Makir Ahmed, Jack James Ryan and Martyn Ellis in Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at the Chichester Spiegeltent
  • The company in rehearsal for Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads at Chichester Spiegeltent
  • Dajay Brown, Billy Kennedy and Harold Addo in rehearsal for Sing Yer Heart Out for the Lads at Chichester Spiegeltent
  • The company in rehearsal for Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads at Chichester Spiegeltent

Pricing information

All seating is unreserved

Full price tickets: £25

Access members: 40% discount for eligible members and their companions

Prologue members: £5

Full-Time Students in Higher Education, Jobseeker Allowance Claimants and Income Support Claimants: £8.50 standby tickets available from one hour before the performance*

*Subject to availability and at the discretion of the Box Office

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Details.

Age Guidance 
Age 16+
Running Time
2 hours and 15 minutes including the interval
Notes
This play contains extremely strong language that some people may find upsetting