HANDS UP FOR JONNY WILKINSON’S RIGHT BOOT Corn Exchange, Dorchester THE show’s title says it all, or does it? Anyone who thought that this was going to be a potted history of rugby football was in for a surprise with this drama documentary performed by Live Wire.

It starts off on a lighthearted note with the cast of four inviting the audience to join in singing Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

Then a heated debate follows between them on who is the most memorable hero of the game and up comes the name of Fred Spencer Jackson, er, who?

You can be forgiven if you have never heard of this player whose real name and identity is still unknown in spite of extensive research.

Nevertheless Dougie Blaxland’s short piece is all about Fred, a mysterious Cornish player around the turn of the century who fought more battles off the pitch than on it, notably over his amateur status and the rights of Maori players.

The four actors show off a few playing tactics with dubious success and perform the Haka but otherwise the whole thing is how Fred was booted off the British Lions team while they were playing in New Zealand in

1908 because he had been paid in the past. He subsequently married a Maori woman and spent the rest of his life in New Zealand.

It would have been interesting if the playwright had noted that Fred’s battles were still not finally resolved in the game until nearly 100 years later. Now that could have been a very good drama indeed but top marks to Dorchester Arts for bringing a varied and stimulating series of shows to the county town, definitely a winning team.

MARION COX