The air is thick with the scent of spilled lager and the electric, nervous energy that only a major tournament final can generate. Outside, the world is draped in St. George’s crosses; inside, the pub is a pressure cooker of expectation. But for Jack and Luke, the real tension isn't on the pitch—it’s sitting between them at a corner table.
In his visceral new play LAD, playwright John Booker dissects the anatomy of a modern British friendship. Set against the real-time backdrop of the Euro 2024 final between England and Spain, the play follows two childhood best friends reunited after three years of silence. Jack has returned from the lecture halls of University; Luke has just walked out of a prison cell.
As the "shiny refurb" of their old local attempts to mask its grit, the two men attempt to bridge the chasm created by time, trauma, and diverging worlds.
In this exclusive interview, Booker sits down to discuss why the "beautiful game" is the perfect stage for an ugly confrontation, and whether kindness is possible when the person you love most becomes the person you understand least.
What can you tell me about LAD and what inspired you to write the piece?
It’s England vs. Spain, Euro 2024 Final. Jack’s back from Uni, Luke’s back from prison. The two mates meet for a pint, their old local is rammed and there’s three years of silence to catch up on. Best friends since school, Jack never visited him in prison, and Luke hasn’t told the whole story.
I wanted to explore the lad culture that I’ve grown up with and how it impacts society. Men, and particularly young men, often lack connection in their lives. This is true no matter what class you are, but it is especially pervasive in those of us from a working-class background. Cultural expectations and masculinity norms and the refrain of - “don’t cry and don’t show weakness” - lead to young men growing up without being taught how to build deep emotional bonds.
I’ve seen first-hand the ripple effects of an absence of connection in the lives of the people I grew up with. The lack of safe spaces for men to talk about loneliness, anxiety and personal struggles, plus the all-consuming nature of social media and digital life, gives the illusion of society, but you’re never truly seen. Being of mixed-race heritage, I know it is much harder to find those spaces to discuss feelings of isolation and not being understood. There’s a deepening divide and I wrote this play to create a second chance for the forgotten men.
Can you share how growing up in Coventry and Derby has shaped your writing?
The Midlands has a really distinctive working-class culture: people are funny, direct and often quite self-deprecating. These are the people that have shaped my writing, some of the best lines are lifted verbatim from them…just don’t let them know I told you.
I grew up around football culture, pubs and strong community identities, but also around people who sometimes felt overlooked or misunderstood. That tension is something I’m really interested in writing about. My characters often come from those environments, people who might look like a stereotype from the outside but actually have a lot more going on beneath the surface.
What is your own writing process like?
Procrastination, and hours of it, I’ll find any distraction possible including housework, replying to the driest of emails and completing Coventry City’s social media.
It’s England vs. Spain, Euro 2024 Final. Jack’s back from Uni, Luke’s back from prison. The two mates meet for a pint, their old local is rammed and there’s three years of silence to catch up on. Best friends since school, Jack never visited him in prison, and Luke hasn’t told the whole story.
I wanted to explore the lad culture that I’ve grown up with and how it impacts society. Men, and particularly young men, often lack connection in their lives. This is true no matter what class you are, but it is especially pervasive in those of us from a working-class background. Cultural expectations and masculinity norms and the refrain of - “don’t cry and don’t show weakness” - lead to young men growing up without being taught how to build deep emotional bonds.
I’ve seen first-hand the ripple effects of an absence of connection in the lives of the people I grew up with. The lack of safe spaces for men to talk about loneliness, anxiety and personal struggles, plus the all-consuming nature of social media and digital life, gives the illusion of society, but you’re never truly seen. Being of mixed-race heritage, I know it is much harder to find those spaces to discuss feelings of isolation and not being understood. There’s a deepening divide and I wrote this play to create a second chance for the forgotten men.
Can you share how growing up in Coventry and Derby has shaped your writing?
The Midlands has a really distinctive working-class culture: people are funny, direct and often quite self-deprecating. These are the people that have shaped my writing, some of the best lines are lifted verbatim from them…just don’t let them know I told you.
I grew up around football culture, pubs and strong community identities, but also around people who sometimes felt overlooked or misunderstood. That tension is something I’m really interested in writing about. My characters often come from those environments, people who might look like a stereotype from the outside but actually have a lot more going on beneath the surface.
What is your own writing process like?
Procrastination, and hours of it, I’ll find any distraction possible including housework, replying to the driest of emails and completing Coventry City’s social media.
Eventually when I do put pen to paper, which I tend to do for my notes, I’ll start with characters and hearing their voice. I’ll then just start writing a scene, whichever one I can see most clearly, and usually try to squeeze in as many jokes as possible…even if they don’t work for the scene at first.
LAD tackles some intricate themes such as working-class conditioning and societal expectations. Why did you choose to explore these subjects?
The roles society gives people, especially working-class men, intrigue me. There can be a strong expectation about how you’re supposed to behave: be tough, don’t show vulnerability, and engage in group-think.
But the reality is that people are much more complicated than that. What happens when someone begins to question those expectations? Do they have the courage to be someone different?
The play isn’t about judging that culture, it’s more about looking at it with empathy and asking why those expectations exist in the first place.
LAD tackles some intricate themes such as working-class conditioning and societal expectations. Why did you choose to explore these subjects?
The roles society gives people, especially working-class men, intrigue me. There can be a strong expectation about how you’re supposed to behave: be tough, don’t show vulnerability, and engage in group-think.
But the reality is that people are much more complicated than that. What happens when someone begins to question those expectations? Do they have the courage to be someone different?
The play isn’t about judging that culture, it’s more about looking at it with empathy and asking why those expectations exist in the first place.
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| John Booker. Photo by Harry Livingstone. |
Your play is being performed in a pub in both Derby and Leicester. Why did you choose site-specific performances for LAD?
The pub felt like the natural home for the play. It’s where a lot of the conversations, tensions and friendships that shape the character’s world actually happen.
Performing the piece in a pub removes the distance between the audience and the story. People aren’t sitting in a traditional theatre watching something from afar, they’re in the same environment where the characters exist. That immediacy makes the story feel much more personal and real.
I wanted to be in a room that people who don’t go to see plays would feel comfortable and welcome. Many can feel that theatre isn’t for people like them, and I am determined to change that narrative.
Frequently in the arts we pretend that working class people don’t value art, so therefore they won’t pay to see it. If it’s a topic that people are truly interested in, they will turn up. I’m really hoping LAD will kickstart a passion for theatre in people, even just one person, who have previously thought it’s not for them.
How does the setting impact on the performance and the action that takes place?
The setting creates a level of intimacy that’s hard to replicate in a traditional theatre space. The audience are right there with the characters, almost like they’re part of the same night out.
That closeness means every moment lands differently - they’re in on the jokes and the more vulnerable moments feel very immediate. The audience are part of the world of the play.
Without sounding too much like a pretentious writer, so many deep, meaningful and life-changing conversations will have taken place over the years in these pubs. It stays within the walls, making the atmosphere palpable, and I want that to bleed into the play.
The setting creates a level of intimacy that’s hard to replicate in a traditional theatre space. The audience are right there with the characters, almost like they’re part of the same night out.
That closeness means every moment lands differently - they’re in on the jokes and the more vulnerable moments feel very immediate. The audience are part of the world of the play.
Without sounding too much like a pretentious writer, so many deep, meaningful and life-changing conversations will have taken place over the years in these pubs. It stays within the walls, making the atmosphere palpable, and I want that to bleed into the play.
I think I may have failed in my attempt not to sound pretentious there…
You recently acted alongside Kate Beckinsale in Wildcat - how does acting inform your writing?
Massively. Having an actor background helps me to improvise character conversations in my head, and often I’ll use the same script analysis that I would as an actor on my own work, to try and get a deeper, more well-rounded character.
You recently acted alongside Kate Beckinsale in Wildcat - how does acting inform your writing?
Massively. Having an actor background helps me to improvise character conversations in my head, and often I’ll use the same script analysis that I would as an actor on my own work, to try and get a deeper, more well-rounded character.
You're part of impressive organisations like the Royal Court Writer’s Group. How has that shaped your development as a playwright?
The team at the Royal Court have been fantastic, they’re such lovely people. They gave me a lot of technical tools to help me approach form and structure, which is something I’ve been looking to develop in my writing.
What was the first piece of theatre that had a big impact on you and your career?
Growing up my family would always go to see the pantomime on Christmas Eve. It had a huge impact on me, watching the enjoyment and laughter that it brought to the audience. Being allowed to eat my body weight in Pick & Mix was also a bonus.
When I was younger, I asked my dad if we could buy the DVD of the panto we’d just been to see, but he explained that there wasn’t one. He told me this moment only happens once, that’s what makes it so unique and special. The magic of theatre is the shared moment that you’ve just experienced will never happen again, and that performance will never be the same twice.
What keeps you inspired?
My dad. He passed away a few years ago. He dreamt of being a writer but it never came to fruition. I found some stuff he’d written in a cupboard, all by hand, as he wasn’t one for computers. The dialogue wasn’t up to scratch but there were some interesting ideas that I started to play with and I started writing.
My dad. He passed away a few years ago. He dreamt of being a writer but it never came to fruition. I found some stuff he’d written in a cupboard, all by hand, as he wasn’t one for computers. The dialogue wasn’t up to scratch but there were some interesting ideas that I started to play with and I started writing.
Thinking of him when I’m writing and how proud he would be really pushes me on. It keeps me going and inspires me. I miss my dad a lot but it really feels like he’s on this journey with me. It’s a nice feeling to have.
What would you hope someone takes away from seeing LAD?
I’d hope people leave having questioned some of the assumptions we make about masculinity and identity. I want audiences to recognise themselves in the characters, even if their lives look completely different on the surface. The play is really about vulnerability, belonging and the courage it takes to step outside the role you’ve been given. After watching the play, I’d hope people would feel braver and have those open and honest conversations about how they’re feeling. I’m guilty of not doing it myself, but I’m trying to be better and I think that’s all we can hope for, to try. Don’t be afraid to have a little cry if you need to. Get out the house, get to the pub and have a chat.
What would you hope someone takes away from seeing LAD?
I’d hope people leave having questioned some of the assumptions we make about masculinity and identity. I want audiences to recognise themselves in the characters, even if their lives look completely different on the surface. The play is really about vulnerability, belonging and the courage it takes to step outside the role you’ve been given. After watching the play, I’d hope people would feel braver and have those open and honest conversations about how they’re feeling. I’m guilty of not doing it myself, but I’m trying to be better and I think that’s all we can hope for, to try. Don’t be afraid to have a little cry if you need to. Get out the house, get to the pub and have a chat.
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LAD by John Booker comes to Derby, 23-25 March (The Brunswick Inn) and Leicester, 26 March (West End Working Men’s Club) and 27-30 March (The Exchange Bar). It is part of Pop-Up Plays from award-winning East Midlands based theatre company Fifth Word. It comes to Leicester and Derby alongside Tabby Lamb’s TRANS IT (Leicester, Curve Theatre Loading Dock, 19-22 March & Derby Theatre Car Park, 24-28 March). All tickets available at fifthword.com
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