The day the Liver Birds attacked

Apr 23 2008 by Mike Chapple, Liverpool Daily Post

Nigezilla

HE’S the man who, if legend is to be believed, single-handedly swung the Capital of Culture title Liverpool’s way.

Keith Carter’s performance as Scouse scally Nige so impressed watching Culture judges that it was cited as one of the reasons Liverpool was handed the title almost five years ago.

But since then the city’s Culture bosses have been surprisingly reluctant to get Nige and others from Carter’s cast list of hilarious Scouse character creations on board for any form of 2008 promotion.

“It would have been great to have been asked to get involved by the Culture Company – I’d love to do something for my city because I’m very proud of it,” said the 38-year-old comedian who added: “I think maybe it’s because nobody among the Culture people knows who I am – there’s very few still in place who can remember what an impact Nige had at the time.

“And maybe those few who do know Nige believe he presents too much of the Liverpool stereotype which they would rather not promote – in which case they don’t really get where I’m coming from at all.”

As an alternative, throughout Culture Year, Carter has been presenting a series of one-off shows entitled Nige’s Guide to the Capital of Culture. The first part dealt with how Nige won the Culture bid – by travelling to other contender cities such as Birmingham and Newcastle to sabotage their chances.

Part two, which is due to be performed at the Unity Theatre tonight, is entitled Attack of the Liver Birds.

“It’s a Hollywood blockbuster that’s designed to put Liverpool on the map for Culture Year – a sort of cross between I Am Legend and Cloverfield set in Garston,” said Carter, who will be aided and abetted by co-writers and performers Iain Christie, Stanley McHale and Lee Fenwick.

“Basically, Nige becomes the city’s salvation as the Liver Birds are awoken from their slumber and controlled by the evil genius of Bill Oddie.”

Others due to be making an appearance are a lady from the Culture Company and representatives of the city council – all of whom will be portrayed by Carter and Co. He said: “The sarcasm level will be turned up to 11 and any Liverpool city councillors who do turn up will discover we’ll be having a laugh at their expense.

“But we’ll only be cracking the jokes that people are already making in the pubs anyway.

“I think they’ll find it all a bit of a giggle.”

Tonight’s show, like the first, and the three subsequent shows to follow later in the year, will all be filmed by Baby Cow, the production company formed by Steve Coogan and Henry Normal, who co-wrote the Royle Family with Caroline Aherne and Craig Cash.

Ultimately, it will be turned into a Best of Nige production for TV/DVD.

mikechapple