The remarkable tale of real life World War One hero Walter Tull - a talented officer on the battlefield and the first black outfield player in the First Division of the Football League. Tull's exceptional talent as a footballer led to him being signed by Tottenham Hotspur in 1909. His achievements on the pitch, both as a sportsman and a gentleman, soon became recognised in the national press. One journalist, reporting on a match against Bristol City, stated "Tull is so clean in mind and method as to be a model for all white men who play football whether they be amateur or professional." When the Great War broke out in 1914 Tull signed up and soon demonstrated a natural flair to lead and inspire. Despite military regulations forbidding "any negro or person of colour" becoming an infantry officer, Tull's heroism in battle was rewarded in May 1917. Overcoming racial prejudice and military rules he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and became one of the first black British officers in the British army in the First World War. Tull remained unmarried however the play explores his relationship with suffragette Annie Williams, his landlady and close companion, with whom he found a kinship despite the many restrictive social conventions they faced.| 21 Feb 13 to 16 Mar 13 | Octagon Theatre Bolton, Greater Manchester Performance Details => Venue archive |
