As England’s world cup journey comes to an early close, the Year Six students at Sir Henry Fermor C of E Primary School in Crowborough are celebrating all that is great about “The Beautiful Game” in their end-of year production, Go for Goal.
Written by Gawen Robinson, Go for Goal is a series of interconnected scenes dealing with the history of the World Cup and features some of its greatest, and most notorious, moments. To be completely topical the piece is set in 2014, in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and starts with a family talking about the current tournament.
Dillon takes the role of Oscar, a young, talented, footballer who dreams of playing for his native Brazil and achieving world cup glory. Lottie, who plays his sister, Juliana, doesn’t believe that he will ever be good enough but through a series of “flash-backs” and heart lifting songs, we soon learn that “When you believe, your dreams will come true”.
Oscar is encouraged by his father Lucas, played by Charlie, and also by his grandfather Leonardo (a role taken by Jethro) a self-proclaimed expert on all historical matters connected with the World Cup. It is his reminiscences that lead us from scene to scene in a performance that, for such a young actor, is totally seamless and very professional.
Looking back through the significant moments in the competition with Oscar’s family are Ellie, a football-mad British girl (Anna) and her Grandfather, Wilf, played by Ryan who, it has to be said, bares a very striking resemblance to the young Rupert Grint when he first appeared as Ron Weasley.
Along the way, as we jump backwards and forwards along the World Cup timeline, we meet the famous male players and the WAGs, women players and their HABs (husbands and boyfriends), some rapping papperazzi snappers and even the mighty, Pele (not the real one, this one is played by Tanel)
We learn about the 1950 final when Brazil suffered a humiliating defeat to Uruguay and meet Mahfuz who plays the commentator of that match, a character who resurfaces later in the show, when the flashbacks are over and we return to the current finals.
Another scene takes place in 1909 and features the West Auckland team and their club secretary Sidney Barron (Ethan) who is stunned when he receives a call inviting his team to play in the first ever World Cup, a competition between just four nations, slightly smaller than its modern day equivalent.
Of course, no history of the World Cup would be complete without reference to the time that the trophy was stolen in 1966 and pretty soon we find ourselves inside a Police Station where the assembled constables and a very bossy sergeant (Hannah-Marie) are slightly bewildered when Mr Corbett (Alex M) and his dog Pickles (played by the beautifully cuddly, and very realistic, toy dog, Ralph) turn up holding the missing cup and hand it in.
Under the direction of their class teachers, Mrs Bunkin and Mr Lucas-Scott, the entire cast of 60 children worked tirelessly and enthusiastically to bring the story to life with some great acting, superb comic moments and wonderful ensemble singing and, as the World Cup chase ends for the England team (once again) these children lifted our spirits and we left looking forward to World Cup 2018 in Russia.
**** 4 stars