RED OR DEAD | ROYAL COURT THEATRE, LIVERPOOL
★★★★★
‘A glorious masterclass in stagecraft – Peter Mullan is magnificent….’
There has long been an affinity between the Scots and the Scousers and if ever one man embodied that accord, it was Bill Shankly.
Red Or Dead, writer and director Phillip Breen’s adaptation of David Peace’s book of the same name, tells the story of the Scottish footballer who became a legend of Liverpool Football Club, and is a melodic, impassioned and often deeply emotional production that is definitely not just for fans of the sport.
The piece charts Shankly’s Anfield reign from his arrival in December 1959 to his shock retirement in 1974, a 15 year period which saw Liverpool promoted to the First Division and win three League Championships and the UEFA Cup, success that would lay the foundations for the club to win seven league titles and four European Cups in the following decade. It’s a tale full of passion, frustration, euphoric highs and despairing lows.
As Shankly, Peter Mullan, returning to the stage for the first time in 30 years, is magnificent. His forensically informed mannerisms and clipped, staccato delivery channel the silver-tongued Shankly to a tee. It’s uncanny. Bringing life to the great orator who could inspire, instil self-belief and command absolute loyalty, Mullen gives a masterclass in stagecraft worth the ticket price alone, but this production is much more than just its lead man.
Shankly believed in the fans, that they had a right to a say in their club, and this production reflects that; an ever-present 37-strong community chorus weaves and sways through the action, they are, The Kop – the end of Anfield Stadium where die-hard home fans gather in a unified display of ‘Red Strength’. The inclusion of this community company brings a kinetic energy and depth to proceeding that is unique and often tangible.
Max Jones’ minimal but effective set design ensures Breen has the space to bring out the best of his chorus and the effect is stunning, haunting and visceral in turn. Together with the 12-strong professional cast they create a company the size of which is seldom seen these days, and when all 49 sing You’ll Never Walk Alone in unison, it proves both beautiful and devastating, with an emotional charge that is a true coup de theatre, leaving the audience momentarily awe-struck before erupting into spontaneous applause and more than a few tears.
If Red Or Dead tells Shankly’s story, then equally it also tells that of Nessie, mother of his two daughters and a fiercely loyal and protective wife who is always by his side, even when the game he loves keeps them apart. Allison McKenzie inhabits that role instinctively, watching from the sidelines, perhaps, but always there. McKenzie boasts a quality of stillness that is quite spell-binding as well as an impressive vocal range that musical director Paddy Cunneen allows to soar during the play’s well-placed musical interludes. As the Shanklys, Mullen and McKenzie’s tender chemistry makes them completely believable as a couple and anchors the production.
That said, the entire principal cast is faultless. Les Dennis, as John Smith (the man who brought Shankly to Anfield) and then Tom Williams (the club’s most successful Chairman), brings nuance, charm and determination to both characters. He also expresses the inner turmoil of the latter in a scene that finds him gently, but firmly telling Shankly it’s time for him to let go.
As Matt Busby, Gordon Kennedy is commanding in a nicely humoured performance that captures the camaraderie and mutual respect of the rivals. Dicken Tyrrell too puts in a good shift as Shankly’s admiring and acquiescent second in command and successor, Bob Paisley.
Strong support comes from Matthew Devlin as a fiery Kevin Keegan, Keith Flemming and Paul Duckworth, who bring to life no less than eight characters between them, and George Jones who as Ian St John has the most outrageously funny scene in the entire show. Jhanaica Van Mook’s Cilla Black is a delight too.
Like all the best theatre, however, it’s the script that makes this production special. Breen’s words have a poetic rhythm that allows the action to entrance while retaining a raucous heart with flashes of biting social comment and a wicked line in Scouse’ irreverence, which is all in keeping with the ethos of Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre; this is a mighty piece of theatre by the people of Liverpool, for people of Liverpool, it’s their story, but it’s also one that will touch the heart of, and speak to all who see it. It’s box-office gold.
Oh, and you’ll also find out why popular Liverpool team captain Emlyn Hughes was nicknamed, Thrush.
Run ends 19 April. Tickets here.
