ACTOR AND PLAYWRIGHT Arinzé Kene isn’t much of a football fan, beyond tuning in to see Nigeria, the country of his birth, play in the occasional international tournament. But his lack of passion for the beautiful game didn’t assuage his annoyance at missing John Donnelly’s play, The Pass, when it premiered at the Royal Court Theatre back in 2014. The play’s popularity (the subject of gay footballers — and hot, gay footballers, in particular — was always going to attract a media circus), coupled with a relatively small theatre space, resulted in a shortage of tickets.
With Russell Tovey hailed for his commanding portrayal of Jason, a brash, closeted footballing prodigy who struggles to keep his sexuality secret while living in the voracious world of celebrity culture, The Pass captured the attention of the critics. Famed for its claustrophobic hotel setting, its intense, snowballing dialogue and Donnelly’s finer understanding of the game’s mechanics, The Pass was generally well received.
Although Kene missed the play, just a year later he was preparing to appear in the film adaptation of The Pass as closeted footballer Ade, playing opposite Tovey reprising his role as Jason. In the first scene, Ade shares a hotel room with Jason, the night before both are set to play in a crucial Champions League match. Confined to their tiny hotel room, they playfight, squabble and, ultimately, share a little more than just secrets.