This is Richie’s monologue.  It is his story as to how he has ended up in a police cell under arrest. Despite train cancellations, Richie has managed to get on a train to Leeds with his mates El Tel and Mickey to go to a football match.  It is a special reunion for Richie and Mickey who went to school together.  Mickey has done really well at school and gone to Imperial College London to study science.  Richie hasn’t. Mickey is planning to work as a science teacher in the back of beyond in Rutland, has met Iona and is losing contact with Richie.  Richie thinks this may well be the last time he will meet up with Mickey so it is important to him.

Richie is a skilled raconteur, talking nineteen to the dozen, he relates adventures on the train starting with them claiming their reserved seats from “toady face” the man occupying one of them, who refuses to move.  Eventually 6ft 5 El Tel lifts “toady face” and deposits him on the platform at King’s Cross and gets back on the train just as the doors shut.  What happens next will make you laugh but I’m not spoiling it.

Despite all his talk about football violence and the reputation of the Leeds supporters in action against opposition fans, Richie is likable and aware of any risks they might be taking. Mickey has brought a knife with him and Richie tries to throw it away, knowing the likelihood of their being searched in Leeds.  But this knife belongs to Mickey’s mother, a fruit knife wedding present and Mickey wants to keep it.  It is indicative of their diverging social experiences how less aware Mickey is than Richie.

I was very entertained by Gwithian Evans’ masterly command of Richie’s storyline and thought how well this play would be received at school by boys who might not think theatre was for them.  Gwithian’s acting is a tour de force.