The Giant Killers

The inspiring true story of football’s greatest ever underdogs told by The Long Lane Theatre Company.

Set in the early years of Association Football, The Giant Killers follows a ragtag bunch of Lancashire mill workers who defied all odds to become the first working-class team in the country to play in the FA Cup.

Unwelcomed by their upper-class opponents, the town of Darwen is fighting for more than just their place in the cup, and the eyes of the nation rest hope on their shoulders.

Taking place in Lancashire in the 1870s, amidst the poverty and social unrest in The North resulting from the recent cotton famine, Darwen FC rose up against the prevailing social prejudice; a shining beacon of hope for the millions of people left feeling utterly disenfranchised in a society with a chasm of social divides.

They take on “the poshest team of all” – the Old Etonians, and with this unexpected pivotal match, they earned their place in history as the first real ‘giant-killers’ in English football.

Whilst the true story took place 150 years ago, the social and political issues of that time resonate as strongl as ever in the current climate – and speak to people far beyond football enthusiasts.

Scoring a moral victory in a classist game, the battlefield is on the pitch in a rip-roaring show full of sprit and passion that uplifts, enheartens, and will ignite a fire in everyone – whether you know the off-side rule or not.