Hit play about forgotten female football star returns to South Shields - and Shearer makes a cameo!
‘Wor Bella is a timeless story about women’s struggles, which more than 100 years later is still totally relevant.’
A hit North East play about WW1 women footballers and munitionettes is returning to South Tyneside by popular demand - with England legend Alan Shearer making a to-camera cameo in the play.
Wor Bella, a one-woman play about the role of women in society and the selfless war-time women footballers, has garnered standing ovations. It will be performed at Westovian Theatre, South Shields in March.
The show premiered in 2022 and sold out nine venues in the North East and London, before transferring to Newcastle’s Theatre Royal in 2025. It tours the region in March to celebrate International Women’s Month.
The play is told from the viewpoint of “Wor” Bella Reay, the Blyth Spartans Ladies centre-forward who scored an incredible 133 goals in 30 matches for Spartans in an 18-month period.
Blyth Spartans Ladies achieved cup glory in 1918 and Bella went on to represent England.
Wisecrack Productions’ Jane Harker said: “Bella Reay has been described as the Alan Shearer of her day; a fitting accolade as the former Newcastle and England star makes a to-camera cameo in the play. He’s very supportive.”
Jane added: “We are delighted to be bringing Wor Bella back. The demand is incredible. This will be the third time in only five years it has been produced. It is a terrific story about these forgotten, heroic women.
“It may be set in 1918 during WW1, but Wor Bella is a timeless story about women’s struggles, which more than 100 years later is still totally relevant.
“During WW1, hundreds of teams were formed nationally and dozens in the North East. This is their incredible story. We want each new generation to know about these fantastic, heroic working class women. I can’t think of a more appropriate story to tell during International Women’s Month.”
Wor Bella is by South Shields playwright Ed Waugh, known for shows including Dirty Dusting, The Cramlington Train Wreckers and Hadaway Harry.
The play comes to nine venues in the North East and Cumbria in March 2027, including the Westovian Theatre on Saturday, March 13 at 2pm and 7pm.
Tickets are available via the Westovian Theatre Website or The Word in South Shields. For further details visit www.worbella.co.uk.