West Yorkshire Playhouse has confirmed that The Damned United will return to the Courtyard stage this March, following a critically-acclaimed, sell-out premiere in 2016.
The Playhouse has joined forces with Red Ladder to present the acclaimed stage production of David Peace’s novel, which tells the story of Brian Clough’s disastrous 44-day period as manager of Leeds United.
The Damned United returns with an intimate new staging, bringing audiences up-close to the sweat, fury and power-struggles from pitch-side and inside the flawed but brilliant mind of ‘Old Big ‘ed’.
Directed by Red Ladder’s Artistic Director Rod Dixon and adapted from Peace’s novel by award-winning playwright Anders Lustgarten, The Damned United is performed by a company of three – Luke Dickson (Brian Clough), David Chafer (Peter Taylor) and Jamie Smelt (Sam Longson/Syd Owen/Jack Kirkland et al) – bringing to life this gritty story about the beauty and brutality of football, the working man’s ballet.
Rod Dixon said: “As a story, The Damned United has it all –passion, power struggles, tragedy and a classic anti-hero in Clough – which lends itself brilliantly to theatre. Anders’ adaptation captures the grit, poetry and darkness of David’s writing, and by charting the fall of Brian Clough and exposing what made ‘Old Big ‘ed’ tick, audiences are given a fascinating insight into the troubled but brilliant mind of a flawed genius –who to this day, remains one of the most controversial figures in sporting history.”
The Damned United is at West Yorkshire Playhouse from Tuesday 27th March to Saturday 7th April. It will then tour community venues across the region. Book online at wyp.org.uk or call the Box office on 0113 213 77 00.
