***

The theme of The Prize is the striving of sportsmen and women to reach the Olympic Games and Paralympics with the emphasis on London 2012. The play blends many quotes drawn from competitors from a variety of sports. Apart from the reminiscenses of Olympic medallist Roger Black, the individuals depicted are not well known. Some succeeded in making it into the GB team, but others didn’t.

I viewed this play a few days after the main Olympics had finished. Thus the high drama of success and failure had been exposed to the full on TV for the past few weeks. Depicting sport in a play is now becoming a real challenge when sporting coverage with zoom lens cameras can capture every nuance of emotional intensity. Unfortunately, this play does not compare with the real action despite being competently performed. Also, athletes tend to express themselves in superficial ways. I don’t think anything new was learned on terms of the struggle and self-sacrifice they must endure.

However, one set of experiences did make for interesting theatre. This was how a disabled Kenyan woman met and married a Geordie and her subsequent attempt to make it into the GB Paralympics team.

Reviewed by Ben

Underbelly Bristo Square: 300

1 to 26 August 2012 (not 15)

14.50 – 16.00

Fringe Programme Page Number: 311