BARELY Athletic is a predominantly gay fivea- side football team who live up to their name in an uplifting comedy about football and friendship.

Danny has a secret; Beardy Geoff is a busker who wants to be a gay icon; Viv runs a pub and has been thrown out of Lesbian Rovers for being too bossy; her depressed brotherin- law, Joe, is the token straight guy trying to cope with the death of his wife, Viv’s sister, and Luke is a shy librarian who wears a vest.

The action is set between six matches in the amateur league, but at the heart of the story is the burgeoning love affair between Danny and Luke.

Phillip Duguid-McQuillan’s Luke is so shy that his words become a torrent of engaging nonsense, but the truth is gritty and difficult and both he and Jamie Samuel’s Danny are equally outstanding.

A hugely talented Andy Rush sits between the two as friend and confidant Beardy, who refuses to remove his snazzy bobble hat, which covers the scars from a recent episode of queer bashing.

Vivienne Gibbs plays the laddish team coach Viv, who wants to beat The Lezzers and help Joe (Matt Sutton) with his grief, without realising she has not dealt with it herself.

Tom Wells is a new young writer and definitely one to watch, his dialogue is sharp and poignant. His talent for understated humour is highly effective and as funny as it is moving.

  • Until Saturday. Box office 0191-230-5151 and at northernstage.co.uk