Mark wants to be a 'legendary footballing poet', but holding on to the twin dreams of playing for Aston Villa and writing poetry isn't easy in his house. Mark's father is a preacher, but a violent man, who beats his wife and shows little affection for his children. For Mark, fulfilling his goals involves a conflict between following his own ambitions and escaping his family.

What are the themes?

Ambition, hope, friendship, family, poverty, desperation, violence, religion, racism and oppression, with strong links to Citizenship and PSHE.

Teaching points

With characters and themes that will engage all pupils, including reluctant readers and boys, this play by a popular author presents the opportunity to explore a range of dramatic techniques and emotive contemporary issues.

This book is part of a book series called Longman School Drama .

There are 72 pages in this book. This book was published 2007 by Pearson Education Limited .

Benjamin Zephaniah Birmingham-born Zephaniah is the author of a number of poetry collections for both adults and children, including Funky Chickens, Too Black, Too Strong and We are Britain. He has also written three novels -- Face, Refugee Boy and Gangsta Rap.