John Donnelly’s The Pass, which explores homophobia, fame, and toxic masculinity in professional British football, is one of those “important” gay plays that’s taken its time to land on a New York City stage since its 2014 premiere at London’s Royal Court Theatre starring Russell Tovey.
The play also arrives at a pivotal time for its U.S. premiere—just as soccer found new fans after the FIFA World Cup in North America and with plenty of folks still hungry for Heated Rivalry-esque stories about sexy, closeted athletes who meet in swanky hotel rooms to get it on. Despite a slick production and some fantastic actors, however, this production suffers from a few key flaws that spoil the overall effect.
It wants better content.
The set dazzles. The acting, less so.
Scenic designer Seth Byrum has outdone himself with a stylish traverse set that places the hotel room where all the action takes place at the center of La Mama’s cavernous Ellen Stewart Theatre, with audience seating mirrored on either side.
It’s a treat to watch this room transform swiftly across its three distinct time periods, and the video (Dwight Bellisimo), coupled with smart lighting design (Cheyenne Sykes), is enthralling. Of course, one’s attention should be glued to the actors instead.
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From the moment he begins skipping rope in his underwear, Matisse Ratron-Neal is magnetic as Jason. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for his co-star, Terry Bell, who plays his teammate Ade. Bell enters the stage in baggy boxers and delivers all his lines at a 10, with little room for nuance.
Yes, they’re playing obnoxious, energetic 17-year-olds on the cusp of their first professional match, but director Max Hunter amps up this laddish behavior to a frantic, anxiety-producing level. Rather than escalating the sexual tension between the teenagers, they’re ready to fight as they bounce around the room.
Act II fares better, with a somewhat more mature Jason in a nicer hotel room with Lindsey (Ino Badanjak), a tacky, working-class British “table dancer.” But by the final scene, when an off-duty bellhop (Oliver Rowland-Jones) joins Jason and Ade for drunken shenanigans, the romp has run its course.
It’s too much. The Pass stages its own destruction so literally that the audience is left as spent as the hotel room.
Is ‘The Pass’ worth seeing?
- La Mama, 66 East 4th Street, New York City
- Notable performers: Matisse Ratron-Neal, Terry Bell, Ino Badanjak, Oliver Rowland-Jones
- Running time: 1 hour and 40 minutes with one intermission
- Performances through September 4, 2026
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