Football Boot Tongue
Football Boot Tongue is a play by Ivan Ergić (a former footballer) and Filip Grujić, staged for the first time by Borut Šeparović. This innovative production raises questions that extend far beyond the football pitch as they explore modern football, depression, and capitalism.
By telling a story of a young Croatian footballer who gets transferred to the German club Wolfsburg, Football Boot Tongue delves into how competitive spirit and the glorification of success foster a culture of dehumanisation among athletes. The play unveils the hidden layers of elite sports, focusing on the pressures and expectations that lead to isolation and depression.
Under the direction of Borut Šeparović, the play highlights toxic masculinity, patriarchy, and surveillance capitalism, which weigh heavily on athletes. Football Boot Tongue addresses sporting taboos like depression, stigma, and unrealistic expectations. Athletes are expected to always be healthy, strong, and flawless – modern-day gladiators. At the same time, the play incorporates comic and tragicomic elements, shedding light on interpersonal relationships within an athlete’s immediate environment.
The synergy between football and theatre in this play brings about a clash of high and low culture, bridging diverse audiences. Football Boot Tongue sheds light on the economic, social, and psychological challenges in the world of elite sports, examining how feelings of shame and isolation permeate athletes’ everyday lives.
This production calls for a shift in the perception of mental health and value of an individual in today’s society by providing a unique insight into the complex world of football and the reality behind the glamour of sporting fame.
Actors
Bernard Tomić
Nikolina Prkačin
ZKM College students: Viktor Lovinčić/Marin Plećaš
Creative Team
Text: Ivan Ergić and Filip Grujić
Direction and dramaturgy: Borut Šeparović
Set design: MONTAЖSTROJ (Matija Blašković, Konrad Mulvaj, and Borut Šeparović)
Video and multimedia: MONTAЖSTROJ (Matija Blašković, Konrad Mulvaj, and Borut Šeparović)
Costume design: Marta Žegura
Movement consultant: Tamara Despot
Lighting design: Aleksandar Čavlek, Saša Bogojević
Sound design: Jan Kozumplik
Dramaturgy assistant: Filip Rutić
Music selection: Borut Šeparović
Drama teacher: Grozdana Lajić Horvat
Stage manager: Milica Sinkauz
Graphic design: Antonio Dolić
Photography: Jelena Janković