‘United! Chester Gateway
‘On the face of it, sending someone who is utterly clueless about the English national game to a theatre piece about football was, surely, a miscalculated risk.
To me, a striker is someone who downs his work tools, and a midfielder someone in the midst of harvesting a wheat field.
But Kieron Smith managed to bring a new perspective to my meagre understanding.
His lively, poignant, entertaining and thought-provoking profile of Manchester United from a fan's perspective would grab the attention of the most unlikely convert. .
This was a cleverly constructed, fast-paced one-man show and Smith kept the drama going with wiry action and comical impersonations. Only once did the pace flag when it risked turning into a chronological glossary.
But that didn't last for long and the pace rapidly picked up again.
United! Despatches from Old Trafford is based on the book by Richard Kurt and has been adapted by Kieron Smith and Richard Williams, who directed. It scored a great goal in the mind of a confirmed footballing cynic.’
Tour Dates:
Chester Gateway Theatre Sept 2-7th 01244 340392
Swindon Wyvern Theatre Sept 11th & 12th 01793 524481
York Grand Opera House Sept 15th 01904 671818
Hastings White Rock Theatre Sept 18th 01424 781000
Crawley The Hawth Sept 19th 01293 553636
Wimbledon Theatre Sept 22nd 0208 540 0362
Derry Millenium Forum Sept 24th 028 7126 4455
Belfast Grand Opera House Sept 29th 028 9024 1919
Cork Opera House Oct 3rd 021 427 1168
Ashton-u-Lyne Tameside Hippodrome Oct4th 0161 308 3223
Peterborough Broadway Oct 5th 01733 316100
Buxton Opera House Oct 10th, 11th 0845 1272190
Manchester Contact Theatre Oct 15th, 16th, 17th 0161 274 0600
www.united-theshow.co.uk