A football fan shoving a flare up his bum may not sound like the most obvious starting point for a theatre show. But that’s exactly from where actor and writer Alex Hill took inspiration to write a play that’s taken him from Australia to New York.
Why I Stuck A Flare Up My A*** For England is about the infamous and viral moment from the Euros final in 2021, when England supporter Charlie Perry put a pyrotechnic up his backside during a day of mayhem in London’s Leicester Square.
Alex, 25, launched his one-man show three years ago at the Edinburgh Fringe and is now finally taking it to London’s West End, before a run of shows off-Broadway during the World Cup as part of a ‘flarewell’ tour.
He was inspired to write it after visiting Wembley before England lost to Italy in the final in 2021 – an experience he describes as “hectic” and “mental” – and later seeing “that infamous photo of bum-flare man”. Alex admits he’s been staggered by its success, having even had football legend Chris Kamara and TV presenter Ben Shephard lend their voices to feature in it as radio presenters last year for charity.
But Brentford fan Alex, from Egham, Surrey, says football is the perfect unifier when it comes to art, as it’s a topic that we can all relate to. “It’s a great vehicle for drama,” he says.
“It’s a bit of a hack. It’s something to anchor your plays on. I always find myself getting drawn to it because I love football so much. It feels instantly relatable. It’s a great unifier. It’s just about the way you choose to represent it.”
The successes of hit Apple TV show Ted Lasso and the play Dear England, which was recently adapted for TV, arguably supports his case.
Alex’s drama tells the story of die-hard AFC Wimbledon fan Billy and his best friend Adam. Along the way, they head to Wembley for the Euros final, where Billy recreates the notorious pyrotechnic performance.
But, after falling in with a new crowd, the tale descends into something much darker, which leaves Billy questioning his own love of the beautiful game. Although it covers hard-hitting issues such as tribalism and toxic masculinity, the passion and dedication for the sport that’s depicted on stage means it’s something every fan can relate to.
Alex says: “It’s his one time of the week where he gets to completely escape from the mundanity of his everyday life.” But, he added, “there’s more to it than just sticking a flare up someone’s bum”.
“It was such a strong image, I knew it would hook people to come to the theatre.” Since then, scores of football fans have come to see it – many of whom were visiting the theatre for the first time – along with regular theatregoers.
“It helps to change the landscape of theatre and break it down for people who think it’s not for them,” Alex says. “It’s a way to bring new people. Some of the best feedback is from people who say they don’t like football, but now they understand why people do.”
For Alex, his upcoming performance at the legendary Garrick Theatre, in the West End, feels like a particularly full circle moment, given that he wrote most of the script in a pub next door in 2022 after being inspired by another show. The actor says: “If someone had said, ‘you are going to play in the West End’, I would have laughed.”
He admits it feels right to bring things to a draw now, given that this summer will mark the fifth anniversary since the Euros, when England were left heartbroken after losing to Italy on penalties. His last ever show is also particularly timely, as it takes place at Soho Playhouse in New York on July 18, the day before the World Cup final. It will be the first time he’s taken it to the US, where it’s scheduled for a two-week run – and he’s hoping to get a big boost thanks to it being one of the tournament’s host nations. “With the World Cup and the zeitgeist of football being there, it will really help,” he says.
● Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Ar * e for England is at the Garrick Theatre on Sunday June 21 for one night only. For tickets go to thegarricktheatre.co.uk