The Hotel End

I've just spotted this in the new Derngate diary: https://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/the-twelfth-player (https://www.royalandderngate.co.uk/whats-on/the-twelfth-player)

I figure it'll either be great or utterly awful but for a fiver it's worth a try in the football free summer months!

I went to see this yesterday. It was something of an oddity, to be honest. On the one hand, the use of technology is fantastic and very clever but on the other the fictionalised aspects are badly written and dreadfully acted and it isn't much of a stadium tour either. That said, it kind of works as a whole.
The occasional "live" appearances of a silent girl in vintage football kit take on a genuinely spooky air when you realise who she's supposed to be in the context of the story. There's quite a clever dichotomy in that the "real" characters aren't there in the flesh, only appearing in video footage while the figure from the past hanging over them is sitting right next to you.
The fantasy stuff the boy character who isn't really into football invents to entertain himself during matches doesn't add anything and is frankly just a bit weird, but the story itself carries quite an unexpected feminist message that would be quite powerful if it wasn't undermined by one particularly heavy handed scene in which the mother rebels and starts throwing around sausages on paper plates that is sooooo badly acted it becomes ridiculous.

Overall though, I quite enjoyed it, the kids loved it and I'd especially recommend it to anyone who has a daughter who plays football as it carries quite an empowering message for them. And if the theatrical aspects don't interest you, the chance to have a look around the dressing rooms and walk down the tunnel as the roar of the crowd plays through your headphones is worth a fiver on its own.

Thanks for the review , its the 1st bad review of what is a unique production that I've heard . my son played the part of Tommy, he is 9 years old and it was his 1st acting role .not sure what you were expecting for £ 5 .

You think that is a bad review?

I would have said that it is a well thought out critique of a play that the author overall enjoyed and he has whetted my appetite to go and see it.

For a fiver, wasn't a bad 40 mins or so for the money, and you get to wonder around Sixfields, by following a virtual story via an Ipod video.

I was impressed by the fact, that the club allowed the stadium to be open for this event, and to allow you to roam around. You can't say better than that for community involvement..

N.B. The players room has loads of 'go get em' type psychological messages on the wall, more than when I was last there!! (Hope it works)

They just need to add some 'you're going to lose soon' to the oppositions changing room!!!

Dreadful!ly acted is pretty damming considering the children were 9 and not paid

This looks good and well done to the club for trying something different.

To be fair, the kids aren't the problem as most of their dialogue comes in the form of voiceover, it's the parent characters (the woman playing the mother in particular).
There's clearly a lot of investment gone into the production, just the iPods and headphones alone amount to a small fortune (although I guess they can be reused in other productions), so I think it's a shame that they scrimped a little in using volunteers rather than paying the fairly minimal cost of hiring a couple of jobbing actors for a day or so as it has had a significant impact on the overall quality of the production.

No offence intended to your son, Grove, but I stand by my original comments. I actually didn't think it was a bad review!

I thought it was a well balanced review. Well done to your son. Takes nerve does acting.

Think your being a bit sensitive here mate. The review was overly positive and insightful. Whens it on until?

Groups of up to 4 people set off every five minutes until 12th July, including weekday evenings, so there are lots of slots to choose from!