Review: WHY I STUCK A FLARE UP MY ARSE FOR ENGLAND, Garrick Theatre - Tour
Photo credit: Rah Petherbridge
Surely a strong contender for one of the most outrageous and compelling play titles to grace the West End, Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse For England swept through the Garrick Theatre for a special one-off performance to round off its final Flarewell Tour prior to an Off-Broadway run. Written by and starring Alex Hill, this production has taken the international Fringe theatre scene by storm, graduating from the Old Red Lion in 2023 to the Edinburgh Fringe and several Australian Fringe Theatre festivals.
Inspired by a viral image of an England fan who, well, stuck a flare up his arse on the day of the 2020 Euros final, Hill’s play weaves the story of the fictional ‘Billy Kinley’, a die-hard AFC Wimbledon fan who lives for the next match day and finds himself subsumed into a group of football hooligans which starts to threaten his relationships with his family, his best friend, and with himself.
The programming of this special performance couldn’t be more timely, coming hot on the heels of England’s victory against Croatia in the 2026 World Cup. There’s a fizzing electrical excitement in the air at the moment, with fairweather fans and football novices drawn in by the thrill of an international tournament. But there’s also a palpable tension, at a time when St George’s flags have been increasingly deployed as the calling card of the aggressive and violent right wing. Why I Stuck A Flare Up My Arse For England (affectionately shortened to ‘Bum Flare Play’) demonstrates how national pride can come in a mix of flavours, and how quickly it can sour in a haze of lager and cocaine.
Alex Hill is a ball of energy, with some of his most engaging moments being when he breaks out of character and interacts with the audience. He successfully whips most of the audience into some classic football chants, which might have been less of a challenge in a smaller venue like a pub venue than a staid Victorian West End theatre.
It’s a charming if formulaic story about friendship, mob mentality and emotional expression (or lack of it). The ending is poignant if predictable and will no doubt fail to soften the hardest of hearts in the audience. Although this reviewer is less enthusiastic about the tired dichotomy that pits team sports and theatre against each other, I’m also aware that – not being a man and being heavily therapised - I am not the target audience for this production. There is a profoundly important message here around group violence and healthy forms of expression which, in the current social and political landscape, is needed now more than ever.
Playing on top of the set of The Producers, this production is as rough and ready round the edges as its Fringe run. The limited set is a touch shabby, and it feels like a wasted opportunity that even for one night only, there couldn’t be a bit of an uplift in the production value.
A timely show that should be compulsory viewing during any men’s international football tournament.
*** Three stars
Reviewed by: Livvy Perrett