New string to his racquet for gold medal winner from Harrogate who gave up sport for theatre
A former world sporting number one from Harrogate is swapping the squash court for the Edinburgh Fringe next month.
The multi-talented James Willstrop, who won three world team championship titles for England in squash and became the official world no.1 in 2012, has long harboured literary and theatrical ambitions.
His new solo musical play entitled Daddy, Tomorrow Will I Be A Man? is to receive a run in the Fringe for more than two weeks in August.
But how did Willstrop, who has loved to act, perform and write since childhood, arrive at this radically different point having competed in the top tier of international squash for 23 years before retiring from the sport?
It’s something Daddy, Tomorrow Will I Be A Man, which boasts original songs with arrangements by York-based musical director Sam Johnson, explores in a fascinating fashion.
"The aim of the show is to create a compelling tale based on true life events exploring what success really means and what really matters,” said James, one of only 23 world no.1 players in the history of men’s squash.
“What happens when a self obsessed, international squash player - dreaming only of becoming world champion - falls for someone who desperately wants a child before her body clock expires, and where’s the solution when two dreams collide?”
With a Masters Degree in Creative Writing at Leeds University, James is no stranger to the stage, despite winning a Gold Medal at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and 2022.
In fact, the latter year also saw him appear in a production by Harrogate Phoenix Players at Harrogate Theatre.
James, who completed a Masters Degree in Creative Writing at Leeds University, is also a published author with two books to his name, including Heroes and Icons and What Drives Them to Succeed in 2021 which featured interviews with his own sporting heroes such as Jessica Ennis-Hill, Chris Hoy and Alistair Brownlee.
Daddy, Tomorrow Will I Be A Man will run at Fringe Venue 9, The Space, Niddry Street (Lower), Edinburgh on August 1-9, August 11-16 and August 18-23.
For tickets, visit: https://www.edfringe.com/