Getting The Third Degree

Following a sell-out Autumn 2019 tour, the award winning Getting The Third Degree by Dougie Blaxland and commissioned by Kick it Out returns to the stage in 2020 with the support of The Windrush Fund.

Described as ‘a sensational piece of theatre’ (Salford Star) Getting The Third Degree tells the powerful story of Laurie Cunningham who came to prominence with West Bromwich Albion in the late 1970s.

The first of the black footballing trio famously dubbed The Three Degrees, Laurie Cunningham, with his swaggering style and dazzling skills forced favourable comparisons with the legendary Pele. The first millionaire black footballer, the first player of colour to sign for the mighty Real Madrid and only the second to win a full cap for England he inspired a whole generation of young black players to follow in his pioneering footsteps.

In dramatising Laurie Cunningham’s meteoric rise to stardom Getting The Third Degree also explores how he and his fellow black players – Cyrille Regis and Brendon Batson – triumphed over the racial abuse and physical threats often orchestrated by The National Front through a potent combination of footballing brilliance, charismatic style and compelling dignity.

Incorporating a disco infused 1970s soundtrack, football chants, contemporary commentary and social and political speeches, Getting The Third Degree is a powerful piece of theatre that vividly recreates a tense and troubled period in the history of football and the wider society.