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SoHo Playhouse presents the U.S. premiere of "Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England"

the true story of a football fan who went viral

Published by New Jersey Stage

originally published: 06/30/2026

Photo © Rah Petherbridge

(NEW YORK, NY) -- Direct from London's West End, SoHo Playhouse presents the U.S. premiere of Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England, written and performed by Alex Hill, and directed by Sean Turner, running July 8 - 18, 2026 in a limited engagement at SoHo Playhouse, located at 15 Vandam Street in New York City. Opening night is July 9.

At the height of World Cup fever, the multi award-winning Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England travels across the pond to Off-Broadway. The show tells the true story of ardent England football fan Billy Kinley, who sticks a flare up his bum at Euro 2020 and goes viral. What follows is a funny, raw and disarmingly honest exploration of identity, loyalty and belonging.

Winner of multiple awards including an Offie and Best Theatre and Physical Theatre Show at Adelaide Fringe 2025, and boasting over 50 five-star reviews, this is a show that has captivated audiences around the world.

Bold. Sharp. Unforgettable. One flare. One man. One bum. One unmissable story.




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Produced by RoxyDog Productions. The production team includes Joel Clements (Set Design), James Dean (Light & Video Design) and Sam Baxter (Sound Design).

Performances are Wednesdays - Fridays at 7:00pm, Saturday 7/11 at 3:00pm, Sunday 7/12 at 5:00pm and Saturday 7/18 at 8:30pm. Run time is approximately 75 minutes. Tickets are general admission $39.50 and premium ticket $54.50 (includes a drink and commemorative glass). Fees included. To purchase tickets and for more info go to https://www.sohoplayhouse.com.

Photo © Rah Petherbridge

Alex Hill is a writer, actor and producer from Egham, England. He trained at Arts Educational Schools, graduating in 2022. His debut play, Why I Stuck a Flare Up My Arse for England, premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2023 and returned in 2024 and 2025 for successive sell-out runs. The show has since toured across the UK and internationally, winning the Holden Street Theatres Award, the Best Theatre & Physical Theatre Award at Adelaide Fringe, Best Theatre & Performance at Perth Fringe World, and an Offie Award. The play was published by Methuen Drama in 2025. Other acting credits include Flashbang (2026) at Greenwich Theatre & UK Tour, the music video for Chicane's Summer In E Major (2023), and the short film Daylight Follows (2023). Other writing includes the short film Occasionally United (ArtsEd, 2023).

Sean Turner was Artistic Director and Chief Executive of Trinity Theatre in Tunbridge Wells from 2021 - 2023. He trained at ALRA, East 15 and in Devising with Complicite. He is responsible for unearthing the script of Arthur Miller’s first play, No Villain, which he directed at the Old Red Lion, later transferring to Trafalgar Studios 2. Sean was previously Associate Director on the West End and UK Touring productions of the hit comedy The Play That Goes Wrong, and directed replica productions across the Globe.

Continuing in the spirit of the theater’s original tenant, Edward Albee and his Playwright Unit Workshop, SoHo Playhouse (Artistic Director Darren Lee Cole) is committed to presenting the brightest and most talented artists from New York, with its Lighthouse Series, and around the world, with the International Fringe Encore Series, to give the theater-going audience of New York important stories told with unique style, and evolving what the concept of Off-Broadway Theater is in the 21st century.


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