Ladies football has really come to the fore in recent years, largely thanks to continuing successes of the Lionesses, who have won back-to-back European Championships as well as reaching the World Cup final. 

But this popularity and success has been hard-fought and well-earned. 

The Ladies Football Club, a new play from Sheffield Theatres’ artistic director Elizabeth Newman, is based on a book by Stefano Massini, which has been adapted for the stage by Tim Firth.

Set during the First World War, it chronicles the story of 11 women who are forced into the factories. When they start kicking a football around on their lunch breaks, it soon becomes clear that it’s not just positions on a factory floor these women can fill.

Although based on a true story, the characters deployed in this play are all fictional with the setting for the story being the Doyle & Walker munitions factory. The unchanged set is only broken up by work benches that appear from the rear of the backdrop as well stools which lift out of the floor. The colouring is cold, grey and industrial and matched by the overalls of the workers (and later football jerseys), although there are pops of colour from the ladies’ different coloured undergarments.

The backdrop serves as a canvas for hand-drawn graphics which are projected onto it throughout the play, demonstrating locations, tactics and the path of messages delivered by the ‘bosses’.

All 11 women remain on stage for the duration of the play which is split into two 45-minute halves (with added time of course). They all have different personalities and come from different backgrounds, with some being married and have men fighting in France, others have lost husbands while others are hoping that the potential ‘Mr Right’ return from France safe and sound.

Performances throughout are superb with the perfect blend of emotion, gravity and comedy. There are those that are eager to play, led admirably by Violet (Cara Theobold) and Rosalyn (Jessica Baglow) whilst others need to be coaxed into action – Olivia (Bettrys Jones), Cheryl (Krupa Pattani) and Abigail (Charley Webb).

There’s also the socialist firebrand Hayley (Leah Brotherhead), the reverend’s daughter Berenice (Lesley Hart), the Joan of Arc wannabe Brianna (Ellie Leach), newcomer Melanie (Clair Nelson) as well as Penelope (Chanel Waddock). But it was Justine (Anne Odeke) who really shone, delivering the play’s funniest moments. 

The ladies overcome all kinds of adversity, initially from factory owner Hubert Walker who soon changes his tune when he realises it’s great PR for the factory. Such is their journey they eventually play Hillsborough before heading to London to play in front of 53,000 people at Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge. But then the war ends and everything changes. 

Despite being a play based on football, one rarely appears on stage with matches choreographed through mime, slow motion and the clever use of the floor lighting. 

Sporting themes aside, at its heart, this is play about adversity, strength, teamwork and ultimately friendship. 

The Ladies Football Club is funny, warm and very engaging – we loved it.

The Ladies Football Club is at The Crucible until 28 March. Click here for ticket info.