NO-ONE in Liverpool can forget the night the heroes from Anfield took the Champions League crown, against all the odds, .

And, given that this city never likes to let its past glories be forgotten (nor its miseries), it’s little wonder that a successful stageplay should be borne out of the events of that night.

Beating Berlusconi is the tale of one man’s long and winding road to said European Cup final in Istanbul, back in 2005: one of those Roy of the Rovers-type glories that will forever feel like yesterday to all of us who remember it.

And how well actor Paul Duckworth does to evoke those memories. As the only actor to grace the stage during the entire two hours, he had the audience in the palms of his hands as he recounted character Kenny’s life, from his earliest memories of the Anfield terraces, through to the night he ended up sat next to Italian PM Silvio Berlusconi as Liverpool bounced back to win the day.

With such a strong performance, there was no need for a set – and nor was there one, save for a table and chairs and overhead projector, used to great documentary effect.

It wasn’t all back-slapping Scouse nostalgia. This play is a meditation on some of the darker days in the life of any long-serving Liverpool fan, Heysel and Hillsborough included.

A must for anyone, theatre fan, LFC fan or otherwise. Any play that can genuinely bring out the laughter and tears in equal measure is worthy of any stage.

Marc Waddington