John Banyton and John Brodie are pupil teachers at St Luke’s School, Blakenhall, Wolverhampton in 1877. Both are keen footballers, and play for a school team which will go on to become Wolverhampton Wanderers F.C., one of the founder members of the Football Association.
We started it draws on events recorded in the school’s Log Book to imagine the happenings one evening at the school.
The play is a comedy suitable for primary school children and for family audiences.
It was performed with a professional cast (and the author) at primary schools in the Blakenhall and All Saints areas of Wolverhampton, and at Wolverhampton Art Gallery as part of the Heritage Open Day 2010 activities.
The Art Gallery performances were in association with a month-long exhibition of Wolverhampton Wanderers memorabilia assembled by the author.
I also helped to organise a month-long companion exhibition, based on the founding of the Wolves in 1877, in Wolverhampton Art Gallery.
The production was supported by ABCD Community Development and Wolverhampton Art Gallery
UPDATE We started it! was featured on the main, early evening, bulletin of Midlands Today on September 14th. The actors were shown kicking the ball around on the turf of the Molineux stadium and performing the play at St Luke’s School.
The programme asked the reaction from pupils at the school. The ones broadcast were: “It started at our school, and I’m very proud of it.”, “I thought it was fantastic. I hope we can see it again.”, and “It was absolutely brilliant.”