The Beautiful Game (sometimes performed as The Boys in the Photograph) is a musical by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Ben Elton about a group of teenagers growing up during The Troubles in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1969.

The plot, which is centred on a local football (soccer) team, focuses on the attempt to overcome the violence that has engulfed their community.

The most successful song from the score was "Our Kind of Love", which had originally been performed by Kiri Te Kanawa as "The Heart Is Slow to Learn".

It was cut from the re-worked version of the show in 2008, and used as the title song to Lloyd Webber's sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, Love Never Dies.

[1] In 1998, Lloyd Webber invited Elton to dinner to discuss the possibility of the latter working on a rewrite of the script for Starlight Express, updating the humour of the original.

The production featured Josie Walker, David Shannon, Ben Goddard, Hannah Waddingham, Alex Sharpe and Michael Shaeffer in leading roles.

[4][5][6] The show was met with a mixed reception from the critics: while the production and Lloyd Webber's score were largely praised, Elton's book and lyrics came under fire for being crass, predictable and undistinguished although John Peter in his review in The Sunday Times wrote "Elton's book and lyrics burst with energy, indignation and intelligence.

A rewrite by Lloyd-Webber and Elton, with the new title The Boys in the Photograph, received a workshop production by students at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts in April 2008, directed by Nick Phillips.

Directed by Ian Milford with choreography by Rebecca Leonard, the cross-community youth chorus performed it for a week-long run.

[14] A new production performed by the National Youth Music Theatre students had a limited run at the Other Palace in London on 15–18 August 2018.

[citation needed] Act One Football is part of everyday life in 1960s and 1970s Northern Ireland, as the overture and opening number ("The Beautiful Game") demonstrate.

The star player, John Kelly, seems to be a little more interested in one of the girls on the sidelines than he is in the priest, and as a punishment is forced to stay behind and take care of the equipment ("Clean the Kit").

As they comfort each other and go to the funeral, they all long for an end to the division and for a chance to live a normal life ("Let Us Love in Peace Reprise").

As Father O'Donnell comes to collect Sean for the football practice, Mary hopes that the cycle of hate can be stopped with her son ("Finale").

After this the majority of the casts join in a number about the importance of soccer or football in the lives of the young people of Belfast, Northern Ireland which is currently on the brink of a cultural war.

After this Father O'Donnell begins the roll call for the football team including: John Kelly, the team's star player who is more interested in showing off in front of girls than practicing seriously; Thomas Malloy, John's best friend, who is more driven, a fervent Catholic nationalist who wears glasses (which need to be taped to his head while playing and are referred to multiple times during the play); Del Copeland, the only Protestant on the team (who states he is an atheist); Daniel Gillen, who has a reputation of stealing radios from cars (though he argues that with so many riots taking place it only makes sense to steal the radios before the cars are burnt), and Ginger O'Shaughnessy, who wants the conflicts between Protestants and Catholics to end and to be called by his real name (Gregory).

We also meet Mary a bright out-spoken young woman who believes that the conflict can be resolved through peaceful protests; Bernadette, a very religious and prudent girl who has been in love with Ginger since they were children; and Christine, who defies her Catholic up-bringing not only by going with several boys but also by the man she marries later on.

Meanwhile, Christine and Del have had their own romantic encounter having both taken shelter in an abandoned car during a raid and discovering that despite their different backgrounds that they have a lot in common ("Born In Belfast").

Meanwhile, the girls are gathered at one of their homes and discussing the evening and their relationships when they receive news that Ginger has been killed and was found miles away from where he went missing.

Later the two are alone and spending their first night alone together in a hotel and looking back on their relationship so far ("All The Love I Have"/"Don't Like You" - reprise) and are nervous to be having their first intercourse, but eventually do manage to overcome the feelings of awkwardness ("The First Time").

Later that night they receive a phone call from Thomas who is wanted for his IRA activities, and while trying to reach a safe house has lost his glasses.

Although Mary protests that he could be arrested also for helping Thomas or even killed, John insists that he can't leave his friend and that this will be the only time he does this.

John eventually finds Thomas and drives him to the safe house while the two make it clear to the other that they don't understand their stance on the issue ("I'd Rather Die On My Feet Than Live On My Knees").

One night Thomas (whom Mary recognizes immediately, due to his glasses) enters her home with other IRA members and tells her that Daniel, who is sitting in the living room, is the one who reported John to the authorities.

Thomas then reveals that he has managed to stay out of jail by reporting others and that he no longer cares if he dies or not since the cycle of violence is endless and he has more than replaced himself with angry men ("It Will Never End").

Meanwhile, Mary is sitting at home, looking at her copy of the team photograph and looking back on the fates of most of the boys, when John arrives having remembered who he really is ("All The Love I Have").

Sean grew up hating football and went into fine arts while his younger sister did make a national team and that the division did eventually end after 30 years.