Before she changed the game, she had to fight to play it.

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In 1998, Hope Powell walked into the boardroom of the Football Association, poised to become the first woman — and the first Black woman — to manage England’s national football team. What awaited her wasn’t just an interview, but a battle for recognition in a sport built to keep her out.

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Told through flashbacks from that pivotal day, A Story of Hope charts Powell’s remarkable journey — from kicking a ball against the wall as a young girl in South London, to challenging the entrenched sexism of British football, to navigating her own identity during the fight for same-sex marriage.

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Set against the backdrop of institutional power and political resistance, this bold new play explores ambition, representation, and the price of being first.

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Inspiring, urgent, and uncompromising – this is the untold story of a true  game changer.

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Produced by Adrian Grant & Keah Forino-Joseph.