Cast Announced for the restaging of The Goal!
We’re excited to announce the cast for the 50th Anniversary staging of The Goal!
We have now cast The Goal, with some new and familiar faces! This inspiring and funny coming of age story tells the story of six kids growing up in Herefordshire in the 70’s against the backdrop of Ronnie Radford’s notorious 35-yard goal scored in the 1972 FA Cup game.
The Goal! premiered at The Courtyard in 2018 to critical acclaim and is being restaged in 2022 to celebrate 50 years since the history making, giant killing goal.
We have a few of the original cast returning, including James Holmes of Miranda fame. Matthew Booth as Yorkie who, since his previous appearance in The Goal, has starred in National Theatre’s UK and International tour of War Horse and BBC drama Happy Valley and Kate Powell who has previously performed in Courtyard productions, Little Red Riding Hood and Hansel and Gretel.
Joining the cast this year are actor and stand-up comedian Blake Aidan, who Courtyard audiences may recognise from the 2021 production of Hopeless Romantics; Ashley Sean-Cook whose theatre credits include Frankenstein (Blackeyed Theatre) and The Boy In Striped Pyjamas (Children’s Touring Partnership); and Gareth Radcliffe who has starred as Bill Sykes in the International Tour of Oliver Twist and Maurice in That Catholic Thing on the West End.
Although predominantly taking on the roles of the ball ‘boys’, the cast of six will also be portraying a host of other characters in this bittersweet comedy that celebrates one of the most monumental seasons in Hereford’s history.
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Meet The Cast
James Holmes – Bob “Bobby” Fenton
James will be returning as Bob, a Hereford born and raised, fastidious lad who takes his responsibilities as a Hereford United ball boy incredibly seriously.
James trained at The Poor School.
Theatre: EastEndless (London; Buxton Opera House; Edinburgh Festival), The Boys in the Band (Park Theatre; Vaudeville Theatre, London), Out of Order (National Tour), Aladdin, Cinderella, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Dick Whittington (Buxton Opera House), Horniman’s Choice (Finborough Theatre), Romeo and Juliet, Wind in the Willows, The Merry Wives of Windsor (Grosvenor Park Open Air Theatre), Portia Coughlan (Old Red Lion Theatre), Rain Man (English Theatre, Frankfurt), The Lady in the Van, The Flint Street Nativity, Happy Now? (Hull Truck Theatre), The Dumb Waiter (Guildhall Theatre, Derby), Twelfth Night (Ripley Castle Open Air Theatre) and Anorak of Fire: The Life and Times of Gus Gascgoine the Trainspotter (Edinburgh Festival, Arts Theatre London, National Tour).
Television: Worzel Gummidge, Martin’s Close, 4 O’Clock Club, Sherlock, Miranda, Dani’s House, Psychoville, How TV Ruined Your Life, Love Soup, The Catherine Tate Show (all BBC); Phoneshop, Peep Show, TV Go Home (C4); Coronation Street, Harry Hill’s TV Burp (ITV); I Live With Models (Comedy Central)
Film: Lava, Death Defying Acts, Suspension of Disbelief
Gareth Radcliffe – Chris Brewer
Theatre: Brolls And Parry – Dr Who Time Fracture, London West End. Ted – Warhorse, UK And International Tour. James – My Sister Syria, International Tour. Tony – Water Under The Bridge, Brockley Jack. Edmund – King Lear, International Tour. Jack Nadar – Life And Death Of Martin Luther King, International Tour. Maurice – That Catholic Thing, London West End. Jupiter – Woman In The Moon, Rose Bankside Theatre. Dave – Hard Days Work, Southwark Playhouse. Bill Sykes – Oliver Twist, International Tour. He is also a Liverpool Fan.
Kate Powell – Danielle “Dan” Beech
Kate will be playing kind and stoical teenager, Danielle “Dan” Beech.
Kate was awarded a DaDA to train at the Guildford School of Acting, graduating with a BA(Hons) degree in Musical Theatre and furthered her training at Associated Studios, London.
Theatre: Dick Whittington (Rainbow Productions); That’s Love (Ian Dickens productions); Death by Fatal Murder (Ian Dickens Productions); Cinderella (Lincoln Theatre Royal); Another Bite Of The Apple (Frank Vickery); Breaking The String (Frank Vickery); Dick Whittington (Owen Money Theatre Company); Stalking John Barrowman (Patrick Steed); Company Manager and Production Singer, Private Lives and The Opposite Sex, (Adonia Theatre Company P&O); Don’t Dribble On The Dragon (The People’s Theatre Company); The Snow Queen, Hansel and Gretel and Little Red Riding Hood (The Courtyard). Dan, The Goal, The Courtyard Theatre, Hereford; Max & The Magic Wish, Audible; Flo Manero, Saturday Night Fever, Royal Caribbean Productions.
Short film: Brewer’s Droop (Stone Fever Productions.
Blake Aidan – Phillip “Twig” Wood
Blake trained at The Poor School as part of their last year, graduating in 2018. Blake is also a stand-up comedian and can be found performing at several venues around London.
Theatre: Lady Windermere’s Fan (2018), Four Loyalty Cards (2018), Agatha Christie’s Witness For The Prosecution at the London County Hall (2018/19), Saturday Afternoon Down The White Cube (2021/22), In The Heat Of That Night (2022) and The Rhyming Bard (2022).
Short Films: Subscribe. Like. Follow. (2018), Quoggers (2019) One Night Stand Up (2019) and Over My Time (2022).
Matthew Booth – Alan “Yorkie” Ibbotson
Theatre: For Love or Money, When We are Married, Richard III, The Passion, The Mysteries, Samson Agonistes, King John, The Merry Wives, Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet, Antony & Cleopatra (Northern Broadsides), Odd Job Men, Royal Flush, Beef (Rich Seam Theatre Co), England, Arise (Bent Architect), Last Train to Scarborough, Lost & Found (Stephen Joseph Theatre), Happy Jack (The John Godber Company), Thick as Thieves, Studs, Gods Official (Reform Theatre Company), The Trackers of Oxyrynchus, Seasons in the Sun (West Yorkshire Playhouse), Hitchcock Blonde, Richard III, Teechers, Bouncers, Up n Under, My Favourite Summer, Me and Me Dad, The Elves and the Shoemaker, Our House, Christmas Crackers, Wrestling Mad, Unleashed, 71 Coltman Street (Hull Truck Theatre Company), War Horse UK and International Tour (National Theatre).
TV and Film: Hollyoaks, Shameless, A Picture of Britain, Emmerdale, Coronation Street, The Royal, At Home with The Braithwaites, Children’s Ward, Masterclass, Crimewatch File, Cardiac Arrest, ID 2 Shadwell Army, Happy Valley (LookoutPoint).
Matthew founded Rich Seam Theatre Company with Nick Lane in 2013 which produces and tours new work.
Ashley Sean-Cook – Brian Thorp
Ashley graduated from the BA Acting course at Northampton School of the Arts in 2014.
Theatre: The Gruffalo Live! (Tall Stories), The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde and Frankenstein (Blackeyed Theatre), Might Never Happen (Doll’s Eye Theatre Company at the Kings Head), The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas (Children’s Touring Partnership), Little Victorians (Phileas Fogg Theatre), My Pet Monster and Me and The Duck in the Truck (Blunderbus Theatre Company UK tours).
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Chief Executive and Artistic Director of The Courtyard, Ian Archer, says of the casting: “I am thrilled to welcome these fabulous actors to Hereford for the special 50th anniversary restaging of The Goal. Casting the company for The Goal has been a wonderful experience and every character has an individual significance to the play. The cast are coming to The Courtyard with distinguished acting careers through stage and screen and I am looking forward to working with them on this unique and very special production.”