Squash gold medallist James Willstrop and children from inner city Birmingham schools will be creating a drama on the squash courts at the University of Birmingham with a brand-new play, Outside The Box.

As the region gets ready for the Commonwealth Games, Outside The Box premieres as part of the Birmingham 2022 Festival at the end of May.

Outside The Box is a celebration of the game of squash. Brought to life on three glass-walled courts, a cast of professional squash players, actors and school children explore the fascinating origins of the sport from a London prison to the mountains of Pakistan and beyond.

The story of squash mirrors the evolution of the Commonwealth, and Outside The Box playfully explores this journey for families and young people. Squash is a physically demanding sport that is loved in countries the world over and Pakistani players of the illustrious ‘Khan Dynasty’ dominated it for many years.

Outside The Box will pay tribute to their remarkable achievements, as well as uncovering the incredible struggles players like Maria Toorpakai, went through, just to be able to play the game. All performances of Outside The Box will include a star turn from British squash champion James Willstrop, who won Gold in the 2018 Commonwealth Games.

The story of squash mirrors the evolution of the Commonwealth, and Outside The Box playfully explores this journey for families and young people. Squash is a physically demanding sport that is loved in countries the world over and Pakistani players of the illustrious ‘Khan Dynasty’ dominated it for many years.

Speaking about his involvement, James  said: “This project unites two of my greatest passions - squash and theatre. The fact that we’re working with young people, using drama to inspire them about the game is so exciting.”

The play has been created by Untied Artists and The Play House - a Birmingham based Theatre in Education charity – in collaboration with local school children.

Outside The Box is presented by the Birmingham 2022 Festival, a six-month festival which surrounds the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Raidene Carter, Executive Producer for the Birmingham 2022 Festival said:

“This year sport and culture will go hand in hand for one huge celebration. As the Commonwealth Games arrive in the region, the Birmingham 2022

“Festival programme will celebrate and explore sport through a whole range of art forms from theatre to visual arts, music to film. Outside The Box is a brilliant, theatrical response to a fantastic sport and we’re sure audiences will enjoy the unbeatable combination.”