Bend It Like Beckham The Musical is not a show about football. It’s about family, growing up, preconceptions, prejudice, generational differences and perceived boundaries.
That, of course, is confusingly akin to saying Jaws is not about a shark. But it’s not, as Mark Kermode has spent many years explaining. That said, the toothy, fin-flashing monster is integral to the plot.
So to with Bend It Like Beckham The Musical. It’s football, and Asian girl Jess’ passion and talent for playing, that enables all the other themes to be explored.
It’s important, then, that the actresses playing the Hounslow Harriers football team know how to kick a ball with the panache of Cristiano Ronaldo and the art of Lionel Messi.
What better way to hone that skill than to spend a morning training with the Tottenham Hotspurs Ladies team and practicing free kicks under the watchful eyes of Premiere League stars Jan Vertonghen and Nacer Chadli?
In between the passing drills, volley practices and mini games, we grabbed a few minutes with the musical’s leading ladies Lauren Samuels and Natalie Dew to discuss their footballing prowess, new found love of the beautiful game, and how the show, which has just extended its booking period, is going.
If the video has you eager to see Bend It Like Beckham The Musical, you can book tickets through us here.