Brighton’Til I Die!

Brighton ‘Til I Die! is presented by The Future is Unwritten (http://www.the-future-is-unwritten.co.uk/) and Fuel in association with Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club.

Brighton ‘Til I Die! was a fast, hilarious and emotional drama, which followed Albion fans Southy and Gerbil as they grew up, grew apart, and later reunited through their passion for the Club. Along the way they tried to introduce school friend Susan to the joys of football (and later to the joys of matrimony when she weds Southy) and succeeded in turning Gerbil’s mum Anna into an ardent supporter.

Southy and Gerbil, aided and abetted by the mysterious music-hall turn ‘Mr Albion’, took the audience on a roller-coaster ride through Albion memories: from humble beginnings to First Division glory, from Cup Final to the end of the Goldstone, Hereford, Gillingham, Withdean, promotion and on, heads held high, to Falmer and the future.

When Brighton ‘Til I Die! was first performed in 2001, Brighton & Hove Albion were homeless and renting a running track in Withdean after the Goldstone Ground had been legally, but deviously, sold. The play, created by Paul Hodson and Dave Blake, celebrated the club’s centenary – one hundred years of a football club that only just survived, thanks to the footballing community in Brighton and beyond uniting to save the Albion. The play ended with a passionate plea for a new stadium.

10 years on, in 2011, that new Stadium was about to open and the play came back – for three performances only – revived, refreshed and ready to celebrate the story of Brighton and Hove Albion and its supporters, by far the greatest fans the world has ever seen!

Every performance of Brighton ‘Til I Die! in 2001 ended in a standing ovation, and the rare sight of a theatre full of grown men wiping tears from their eyes. The secret of the play’s success was its accessibility, not just to football fans but to their family and friends as well. Alongside a whistle-stop tour of the Club’s history, it also explored football culture and community – in an extremely funny and insightful manner. That insight came from the personal experience and knowledge of the writers, cast members and producers – all of whom are football fans and most of whom are Brighton & Hove Albion season ticket holders.

Funded by Arts Council England.

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