Would You Bet Against Us?
A Rep Original Comedy
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It’s 1982. Aston Villa beat Bayern Munich 1–0 to win the European Cup. They remain one of only five English teams to win the biggest prize in club football – yet no one thought they stood a chance.
Around the corner, 16-year-old Paul’s geography teacher tells him he would amount to absolutely nothing.
Aston Villa were complete underdogs. So was Paul… And Paul’s geography teacher was a complete ********.
Would You Bet Against Us? marks the 40th anniversary of an iconic event for Aston Villa, for Birmingham and for Paul. Created by The Rep and renowned storytellers Told by an Idiot and written by Brummie and life-time Aston Villa fan Paul Hunter, this is a hilarious, poignant, and uplifting show about challenging expectations and proving people wrong.
Pub Quiz – Wed 25 May
Join Artistic Director, Paul Hunter, as he tests how claret and blue your shirts really are. Grab a pint and join Told by an Idiot on Wed 25 May for a Villa themed quiz. Will you get your hands on the trophy?
Created by
Told by an Idiot
Written By
Paul Hunter, with additional materials by members of the company
Running Time
80 minutes
Access Performances
BSL Performance: Sat 28 May, 2.45pm
BSL Interpreter: Harjit Jagdev
Audio Described Performance: Tue 31 May 8pm
Captioned Performance: Wed 1 Jun, 8pm
Relaxed Performance: Sat 4 May, 2.45pm
Post Show Q&A
Fri 20 May, with European Cup Winners Dennis Mortimer, Tony Morley and Kenny Swain. Supported by AV40.
Freesheet
The Would You Bet Against Us? freesheet can be downloaded here.
Age
14+
Reviews
A warm, funny and lovely piece of theatre which can be appreciated even if you are not a football fan . . . even Blues’ fans could enjoy it.”
Behind the Arras, 4.5 stars
A celebration of family and a shared love of football in equal measures”
Not Compulsory, 5 stars
A great night’s entertainment, and you don’t need to be a football fan to enjoy and appreciate it”
WestEndBestFriend, 4 stars
Funny, warm and hugely nostalgic.”
BrumHour, 4.5 stars
An underdog story we can all get behind, football fans or not.”
StageTalk Magazine, 5 stars
This is an innovative, slick, five-star production which is a must see…Not just for Villa fans, but a delight for everyone.”
Midlands Arts Magazine, 5 stars
Cast
Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter is the writer, and is the company, of Would You Bet Against Us?
Lori Hopkins
Lori Hopkins is in the company of Would You Bet Against Us?
Heather Lai
Heather Lai is in the company of Would You Bet Against Us?
Kyll Thomas-Cole
Kyll Thomas-Cole is in the company of Would You Bet Against Us?
Interpreter
BSL Interpreter
Harjit Jagdev
Harjit Jagdev
Harjit is the BSL Interpreter for Would You Bet Against Us?
Creatives
Writer
Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter
Paul Hunter is the writer, and is the company, of Would You Bet Against Us?
Lighting Designer
Lucy Adams
Lucy Adams
Lucy Adams is the lighting designer for Would You Bet Against Us?
Sound Designer and Composer
Esther Kehinde Ajayi
Esther Kehinde Ajayi
Esther Kehinde Ajayi is an interdisciplinary sound artist born in West London in 1996. She combines highly conceptual sound design with interactive
technology and custom sound system design across various formats, including film, music, audio installations, fashion, and sculpture. Since 2021,
she has focused on sound design for theatre in London, emphasising the spatial presentation of sound through hybrid systems that merge software,
hardware, and visual elements. Following extensive research during her Sound Arts BA (2024), she describes her practice as “sonic cultural technology design,” highlighting sound as a psycho-cultural tool for personal empowerment and community building when viewed beyond the realm of music.
Credits include: Anansi the Spider (Unicorn Theatre); The Promise (King’s College London); Positive (Southwark Playhouse); Watchtower (Tentastic festival); Twist the Fantasy (E.K.A.sounds); Hansel and Gretel (The Big House); Pitch (November Theatre); Under The Blanket (The Big House); Wordsong Collection (The Big House); Possession (Arcola Theatre); Hot In Here (The Gate Theatre); The Dry House (Marylebone theatre); My Brother’s Keeper (Theatre 503); Cash Money (The Big House); Talking About A Revolution (Lyric Hammersmith); Hot in here (Camden People’s Theatre); Yellowman (Orange Tree Theatre); Would You Bet Against Us (Birmingham Rep); When The Long Trick’s Over (High Tide); All of the conversations (ArtsEd); Athena (The Yard Theatre); STATEMENTS AFTER AN ARREST UNDER THE IMMORALITY ACT (Orange Tree Theatre); Alice (Landor_Space); Invisible Light (Tristan Bates Theatre); Dana is her name (E.K.A.Sounds).
Puppetry Director
Rachel Leonard
Rachel Leonard
Rachel Leonard is puppetry director for Would You Bet Against Us?
Production Manager
Martyn Sands
Martyn Sands
Martyn Sands is the production manager for Would You Bet Against Us?
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