REVIEW: One Night in Istanbul, Empire Theatre, Liverpool, with guest stars Stephen Gerrard, Raphael Benitez and Jamie Carragher
IT’S not often you get upstaged when you’re the lead in a show but there’s before never been a play which featured four Liverpool FC stars as a surprise finale act.
Stephen Gerrard, Jamie Carragher, Raphael Benitez and Sammy Lee appeared with a burst of energy in the final moments that many LFC fans will no doubt recognise.
But even before they made their entrance holding aloft four of five European Cups and dancing along with the cast (Rafa mostly just clapped), they had been very much the stars of the night.
Before curtain up and during the interval, entire rows of the audience stood and stared at where the players were seated in the stalls, amazed at being so close to their idols.
Nicky Allt’s comedy is very much one for the fans – with a clever use of match footage on two giant screens, one either side of the shabby hotel set.
LFC obsessives Gerry (John McArdle) and Tommy (John Bishop in his stage debut) have travelled to Istanbul to watch the 2005 final with their two sons.
