This Review was originally posted on Totally Theatre and is now being posted here for archive reasons.....
"The Socialism I believe in is everyone working for each other, everyone having a share in the rewards. It's the way I see football, the way I see life" - Bill Shankly (1913 - 1981). The impression I got from the Turf Love Theatrical Company one man show is without Bill Shankly's outlook on life this Football Frenzy, Socialist tall tale that centres around the Champions League 2005 Final wouldn't of been possible.
Beating Berlusconi! finally comes to The Kings Head Theatre in Angel. Having received overwhelming praise in and around Liverpool I was curious if Londoners would receive this one quite as well. Especially given there were bound to be more Chelsea and Arsenal Fans around Islington than Liverpool fans.
The starting point for Beating Berlusconi was an off the wall incident which happened to Mark Radley, a long time Red. His story of blundering into the AC Milan Director's box at the Champion's League final in Istanbul, sitting next to, and then nearly having a scrap with the Mussolini loving Italian PM is one of the many famous stories that came out of that famous night - and probably the best (according to Producer John O' Conner). His extraordinary yarn was the starting point for the play.
Writer John Graham Davis has spun Mark Radley's Champion's League Final Encounter with Silvio Berlusconi in the AC Milan ViP Box as a young 24 year old. Effectively John Graham Davis has spun the VIP tale and turned Mark Bradley into the Middle Aged late 30's Kenny Nonan played by Paul Duckworth - along with an array of characters and creations - 39 in all from Kenny's 'Scally' school-pals Moose and Minty to Berlusconi himself.
Its rare to see a one man show outside Fringe Festivals and this is a commendable effort by the comically talented Paul Duckworth. A Play of two half's that doesn't come up for air - you're left gasping as his yarn unfolds in the intimate theatre. Something similar to the funny man you meet in a pub whose stories never stop. Duckworth is in his element, narrating the whole show around the big payoff but dwelling with light-hearted ease on the elements which lead up to it. Despite the play being a stampede of pub banter and extremely light hearted there are moments when the story really grabs the audience and makes them think about the more horrific elements of Liverpool that are met along the time line of history - offering another mans perspective on the Hillsborough Disaster, Racist Riot Police from Cornwall and the passing of friends you meet on the journey of life.
The characters in Beating Berlosconi are used to brilliant cartoon effect to explore the political landscape of the Eighties and Nineties. Thatcher, the Toxteth riots of 1981 and Heseltine's Garden City project are there to provide the big headline reference points. The petty-bureaucratic nightmare of signing on and trying to exist when out of work are the reality in this tall tale. All are readily brought to life by Duckworth, with Mike Wight's well-chosen bits of football video and archive photos of Liverpool there to give extra flesh to the tale.
Liverpool Fans will get a lot out of this play, Football fans will get almost as much out of it as the Red Scousers as long as they let the Chelsea comments at the beginning slide. But those of you who aren't all that overwhelmed by World Cup and the Annual Premiership Race may walk away less satisfied. Its good but I'm not swathed by the Tribalism of a love for Liverpool and while I can see why they hate Thatcher and the Sun with a passion - I'm not convinced.
6/10 (3 Stars)
Beating Berlusconi! finally comes to The Kings Head Theatre in Angel. Having received overwhelming praise in and around Liverpool I was curious if Londoners would receive this one quite as well. Especially given there were bound to be more Chelsea and Arsenal Fans around Islington than Liverpool fans.
The starting point for Beating Berlusconi was an off the wall incident which happened to Mark Radley, a long time Red. His story of blundering into the AC Milan Director's box at the Champion's League final in Istanbul, sitting next to, and then nearly having a scrap with the Mussolini loving Italian PM is one of the many famous stories that came out of that famous night - and probably the best (according to Producer John O' Conner). His extraordinary yarn was the starting point for the play.
Writer John Graham Davis has spun Mark Radley's Champion's League Final Encounter with Silvio Berlusconi in the AC Milan ViP Box as a young 24 year old. Effectively John Graham Davis has spun the VIP tale and turned Mark Bradley into the Middle Aged late 30's Kenny Nonan played by Paul Duckworth - along with an array of characters and creations - 39 in all from Kenny's 'Scally' school-pals Moose and Minty to Berlusconi himself.
Its rare to see a one man show outside Fringe Festivals and this is a commendable effort by the comically talented Paul Duckworth. A Play of two half's that doesn't come up for air - you're left gasping as his yarn unfolds in the intimate theatre. Something similar to the funny man you meet in a pub whose stories never stop. Duckworth is in his element, narrating the whole show around the big payoff but dwelling with light-hearted ease on the elements which lead up to it. Despite the play being a stampede of pub banter and extremely light hearted there are moments when the story really grabs the audience and makes them think about the more horrific elements of Liverpool that are met along the time line of history - offering another mans perspective on the Hillsborough Disaster, Racist Riot Police from Cornwall and the passing of friends you meet on the journey of life.
The characters in Beating Berlosconi are used to brilliant cartoon effect to explore the political landscape of the Eighties and Nineties. Thatcher, the Toxteth riots of 1981 and Heseltine's Garden City project are there to provide the big headline reference points. The petty-bureaucratic nightmare of signing on and trying to exist when out of work are the reality in this tall tale. All are readily brought to life by Duckworth, with Mike Wight's well-chosen bits of football video and archive photos of Liverpool there to give extra flesh to the tale.
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Liverpool Fans will get a lot out of this play, Football fans will get almost as much out of it as the Red Scousers as long as they let the Chelsea comments at the beginning slide. But those of you who aren't all that overwhelmed by World Cup and the Annual Premiership Race may walk away less satisfied. Its good but I'm not swathed by the Tribalism of a love for Liverpool and while I can see why they hate Thatcher and the Sun with a passion - I'm not convinced.
6/10 (3 Stars)
