Bones review – men grapple with mental health on and off the pitch

Visually striking … Ronan Cullen, right, as Ed and James Mackay, left, as Ollie in Bones. Photograph: Charles Flint

A new, welcome body of male-centred plays are interrogating masculinity and mental health through the subject of sport. Where dramas such as Red Pitch and Dear England focus on football, Bones revolves around rugby.

Ed (Ronan Cullen) is a star player, but off the field is silently struggling with anxiety and grief. Laddish banter and drinking bonds him with teammates Charlie (Samuel Hoult), Will (Ainsley Fannen) and Ollie (James Mackay) but also leaves him emotionally marooned.