Gary Lineker gives Roundhouse talk on football art and class

It's part of a series of Talkback events at the Chalk Farm venue following performances of its new show Trueman and The Arsonists.

A Just Stop Oil protestor, London Assembly member Zack Polanski, and writer and musician Tom Rasmussen are also among the speakers giving post show talks.

Lineker, who hails from a family of greengrocers in his native Leicester, appears at the Chalk Farm venue on October 25 alongside FT critic Sarah Hemming and Simon Stephens, the playwright who has adapted Max Frisch's cult 1950s absurdist drama into a 'punk play with songs'.Playwright Simon Stephens has adapted Max Frisch's cult 1950s drama and appears alongside Gary Lineker at the October 25 talk. (Image: Supplied)

It is staged by represent. Theatre, a company tackling a lack of socio-economic diversity within the arts. All talks are included in the price of the performance and will be recorded and released free on their YouTube channel.

Artistic director Guy Woolf said: “Our work is never created in a vacuum: it responds to and is shaped by the times in which we live. As a company with a political mission to redress class disparity within the arts, we consider it crucial that our work sparks conversation long after the curtain call. As such, we are delighted to announce a series of post-show talkbacks and could not be more excited to reveal these incredible people who will be joining us to highlight and dissect the urgent and contemporary themes of the play.”

Directed by Abigail Graham with songs by Chris Thorpe, the show explores how moral lethargy can invite evil in. A plague of fires has broken out across the city as arsonists worm their way into respectable homes then burn them down. But Trueman is no fool, as he invites two polite strangers into his spare room, he would surely spot an arsonist a mile away, even as they fill his attic with barrels of petrol.Comedian and presenter Coco Sarel also takes part in the post show Talkback series at The Roundhouse (Image: Courtesy of The Roundhouse)

Another discussion on October 31 between Green Party member Polanski and a representative from Just Stop Oil, examines the Climate Crisis, how we got here and what can we do to protect the planet.

Then on November 7, performance artist Jessica Murrain joins Rasmussen and University of Manchester Professor Dr Dave O’Brien to explore the barriers for people on low incomes to the entertainment industry and how to increase working class access to the arts.

Trueman and The Arsonists runs at The Roundhouse studio from October 18 until November 8.