Flashbang Q&A at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre. © Anthony Kelly

It’s been nearly four years since I chaired a Q&A for the world premiere of Proforca’s Flashbang at the Lion & Unicorn Theatre. Now, after a spring tour, the production is back for its last-ever London performances before a richly apt finale in Coventry.

Coventry is the hometown of Proforca artistic director David Brady and, though never named, it’s the setting for the play, which tells the tale of five “friends forever” young men with modest ambitions but deep bonds to their community – and the circumstances that mean we only meet four of them onstage.

For these football-mad lads, the play is very much a game of two halves: the first a high-energy recreation of the excitement of a night out when you’re young and fancy-free; the second, an exploration of the grief, guilt and recriminations that follow an unexpected tragedy. How do you recover when the world you’ve always known is blown apart in a flash?

For the post-show discussion, I was joined by David Brady – also artistic director of the Lion & Unicorn Theatre since 2019 – along with the full 2026 cast: Robert Wolfe, Charlie Jobe, Haydn Watts and Ben Watts. As well as the journey of the play, childhood best mates, and the importance of a good Spotify playlist for character building, we looked ahead to what’s coming up next for Proforca at the Lion & Unicorn.

Flashbang has its final performances at the London’s Lion & Unicorn Theatre on 6 May and Coventry’s Belgrade Theatre 7-9 May 2026.

Q&A video

Me with (left-right) cast members Robert Wolfe, Charlie Jobe, Haydn Watts and Ben Watts, and David Brady.

Q&A photos

Event photography by Anthony Kelly.

 

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