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.
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 PetherbridgeAlex 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.
EVENT PREVIEWS
Ritz Theatre Cabaret Series presents "Dream On!"
(HADDON TOWNSHIP, NJ) -- The Ritz Theatre Company continues its Cabaret Series with Dream On! on Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at 7:30pm. Curated by Connor Twigg, this event features regional artists singing songs from their dream roles.
Liberty Arts Theatre presents "The America 250 USO Tour" featuring a star-studded cast from Abraham Lincoln to Thomas Jefferson with music, dance, comedy and after party!
(LEONIA, NJ) -- Liberty Arts Theatre will keep us all rockin' in the free world with the high-octane celebration America 250 USO Tour - where Vaudeville meets American history – featuring a star-studded cast from Abraham Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson to George Patton, a live orchestra, song-and-dance numbers and comedy sketches. The America 250 USO Tour will march into the American Legion Post #1 (399 Broad Street) in Leonia on Thursday, July 2, 2026 at 7:00pm.
Classic American Tales honors the 250th with "Margaret's Diary During a Revolution"
(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- "Before we retired to bed, an attempt was made to teach the children to pronounce 'vegates,' (how do you do?) like a German. Our good neighbors are a little concerned to think there is not one in the neighborhood who will be able to interpret for us when the Hessians are quartered here," wrote Margaret Morris in her diary on December 21, 1776.
American Theater Group and Union Arts Center present Spotlight on NJ: Play Reading Event
(UNION, NJ) -- American Theater Group (ATG), in partnership with the Union Arts Center, will present a three-day Spotlight play reading event featuring works by New Jersey playwrights at the DMK Black Box Theater at the Union Arts Center from July 6-8, 2026 with performances at 7:00pm each night.
Live On Stage Productions presents "Together Off-Broadway: Merman & Martin in Concert" at Cape May Stage
(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Live On Stage Productions presents Together Off-Broadway: Merman & Martin in Concert at Cape May Stage from July 4-10, 2026. This show celebrates the remarkable bond between Ethel Merman and Mary Martin — two of Broadway’s brightest stars.
Gateway Playhouse presents Neil Simon's "London Suite"
(SOMERS POINT, NJ) -- Gateway Playhouse presents Neil Simon's London Suite with three performances from July 11-12, 2026. Witty, charming, and unmistakably Neil Simon, London Suite invites audiences into a series of hilarious and heartfelt encounters set in the same London hotel room.
The Light Opera of New Jersey presents "H.M.S. Pinafore" at the Sieminski Theater Cultural Arts Center
(BASKING RIDGE, NJ) -- The Light Opera of New Jersey presents H.M.S. Pinafore from July 11-12, 2026 at the Sieminski Theater Cultural Arts Center. This is a comic operetta by Gilbert and Sullivan that satirize the British class system.
Misfits Theatre Co. presents "She Loves Me"
(MATAWAN, NJ) -- Misfits Theatre Co., a community theater organization dedicated to producing bold, entertaining, and accessible theater for audiences of all ages, presents its inaugural book musical production, She Loves Me at Matawan Regional High School from July 10-12, 2026.
Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center presents "Sense and Sensibility" outside duCret Center of Art
(PLAINFIELD, NJ) -- Dragonfly Multicultural Arts Center invites audiences to experience Jane Austen's beloved classic Sense and Sensibility in a charming outdoor production this summer at duCret Center of Art in Plainfield. Performances take place July 10-12, 2026.
Howell PAL Theater Company presents "Grease"
(OCEAN GROVE, NJ) -- Howell PAL Theater Company presents the classic musical Grease weekends from July 10-12, 2026 at the Jersey Shore Arts Center. Grease is a love song to the 1950s and a cornerstone of the American musical comedy form.
FEATURED EVENTS
