Digital Editor Vidhi Bhanushali reviews Everybody Wants to be Ronaldo, praising its powerful message and creative plot
A Tectum Theatre Production, Everybody Wants to be Ronaldo, is a short, sweet, three-act play that delivers a strong message at the end. The story revolves around a young boy, Curtis Johnson (Jerome Scott) who is an ambitious footballer and is currently playing for Aston Villa, a club that represents Birmingham. He dreams of winning the Ballon d’Or and representing England in the National Team. His strong bond with his mother, Sabrina (Kimisha Lewsi), reflects the sacrifices and hard work that come along with wanting to pursue one’s passion. Despite being a single mother, Sabrina, an ex-Aston Villa footballer at a young age, pushes Curtis to be nothing less than the best at what he does and leaves no stone unturned in giving him the best opportunities despite the financial hardships that they face. After facing a serious rejection from the England National Team, Curtis is heartbroken and is unable to digest this failure.
“The best part of the play was Curtis’s interaction with Diego Maradona
The minimalist one house setting production complimented the natural dialogue and the occasional beat-rapping, especially during transitional scenes that flagged the moralistic aspect of the play. Without giving much of the climax away, I can say the best part of the play was Curtis’s interaction with Diego Maradona (Tobias Jowett), the Argentine Legend. The duo set off with a classic comedic fan-to-star conversation that eventually shifts to a serious didactic tone. Maradona speaks about the ‘parasites’ that got to him along with the fame and money that cost him his life, thus, revealing the true nature of popular sports. Using an iconic player like him, the story springboards from his life experiences as a celebrity football player to make Curtis realise the difference between an ordinary and extra-ordinary player, as well as the ups and downs that accompany the journey in between.
“The play emphasises the importance of finding your true self
Within a run-time of one and half hour, this feel-good play successfully conveys powerful messages about accepting and dealing with failure, using the real life of these legendary personalities as examples. Drawing parallels between Maradona and Curtis, the play touches on theme of self-identity and discovering one’s true potential. As Curtis expresses his yearning to accomplish all that Maradona had in his life, Maradona makes him realise with these achievements come a great deal of responsibilities, difficulties and distractions that get overshadowed by the glamour of fame. The play emphasises the importance of finding your true self as you embark on the journey of following your passion; and how in that process, it is equally important to balance between your focus on the goal (pun intended) and the everything that surrounds it.
With perfectly-crafted dialogues, thought-provoking and upbeat grime and rapping, and comical references to the sport, this is a must-watch for all football fans out there.
Watch Everybody Wants to be Ronaldo is running until 22 March at The Birmingham Rep.
Rating: 4/5
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