The stage adaptation of The Damned United is coming to Glusburn Community and Arts Centre at 8pm on Saturday, June 23, as part of its first UK tour.

Award-winning playwright Anders Lustgarten has adapted David Peace’s novel for Red Ladder Theatre Company, which presents this critically acclaimed stage production of the compelling best-seller about Brian Clough’s disastrous 44-day period as manager of Leeds United.

Directed by Red Ladder’s artistic director Rod Dixon, a company of three - Luke Dickson (Brian Clough), David Chafer (Peter Taylor) and Jamie Smelt (Sam Longson/Syd Owen/Jack Kirkland et al) - take audiences up-close to the sweat, fury and power-struggles from pitch-side and inside the flawed but brilliant mind of ‘Old Big ‘ed’. The story of a troubled genius slamming-up against his limits, The Damned United brings to life the beauty and brutality of football.

The rights for The Damned United were donated by David to Red Ladder Theatre Company for £3.68 – a penny for each page in the novel – as a show of support for the theatre company when its Arts Council funding was cut.

The production premiered as a sell-out co-production with West Yorkshire Playhouse in 2016, and has been re-approached as a small-scale production for its first tour of the UK.

Rod Dixon, artistic director of Red Ladder, said: “As a story The Damned United has it all –passion, power struggles, tragedy and a classic anti-hero in Clough - which lends itself brilliantly to theatre. Anders’ adaptation captures the grit, poetry and darkness of David’s writing. By charting the fall of Brian Clough and exposing what made ‘Old Big ‘ed’ tick, audiences are given a fascinating insight into the troubled but brilliant mind of a flawed genius –who to this day, remains one of the most controversial figures in sporting history.”

Tickets, which cost £10 for adults and £8.50 for senior citizens, are available at gicac.org.uk or on 01535 630223.