Set in regional Western Australia, Barracking for the Umpire deals with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), toxic masculinity and its impact on the well-being of men in Australia, and homosexuality in AFL, through the story of the failing health of one family’s patriarch.

PRODUCTION HISTORY

Barracking for the Umpire was commissioned by Black Swan State Theatre Company as part of the Funny Girl Initiative through the Malcolm Robertson Foundation. The first draft of the script impressed then Artistic Director Clare Watson so much, it was programmed into their season and premiered at Subiaco Arts Centre in October 2022 to much acclaim.

It is one of three Australian works to be invited to the Australian Theatre Festival in New York City, 2023.

Learn more about Barracking for the Umpire.

“Andrea Gibbs’s play perfectly encapsulates the good, the bad, and the ugly of the AFL” – Pelican Magazine ★★★★★

“What a win! Perth audiences should get excited to see what she writes next” – The West ★★★★1/2