6th November 2023
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At the Royal Court Theatre until the 19th of April is an exciting new production. Based on the novel by David Pearce, Red or Dead tells the story of Liverpool FC’s beloved manager Bill Shankly. The man who made the people happy is bought to life by Peter Mullan in a unique play which holds the city of Liverpool in it’s core.
This was my first trip to the Royal Court, and it certainly will not be my last. Situated near the St John’s Shopping Centre, the theatre has a great central location. The interiors are a well done mix of the theatre’s original features and modern renovations. There is a cafe on the ground floor, and a bar on the Circle. I paid £4.80 for a small glass of Pinot Grigio which was nice, and well priced.
My ticket cost £25, and was on row C of the Circle. I was very happy with my view, and cheaper seats were available on the Balcony. The theatre also offers two seater couches in the stalls, and dining seats. For plays later in the year, dining tickets are £44 for 2 courses which I think is exceptionally good value in comparison to theatre dining packages in London.
I would also like to thank all the lovely staff at the theatre. They all made sure I knew where I was going, and took extra care to check up on me as a solo, female theatre goer which was really kind.
The play itself was daring, but successful. The story of one man coaching a football team could easily be made very dry, but I never found myself bored. The strong central performance from Mullan’s was key to this. He was a charismatic and compelling Shankly, not shying away from the gravity of the role.
The ensemble cast enhanced the production beautifully. A mixture of 52 professionals (including TV’s Les Dennis) and amateurs who make up the Community Chorus. The large group on stage represented the fans who adored Bill, and that Bill adored in return. This was an ambitious move, but I think it really paid off. It connected the story of one man to the enormity of Liverpool FC.
What the play did succeed in was showing the humour in Shankly’s story. His era of football was undeniably a different time, and some scenes were bordering on outrageous. Nonetheless, the play had a beautiful warmth rarely achieved in the theatre.
My one major criticism was that the play did feel overly long. Running at close to 2 and a half hours, there were scenes and sequences that didn’t need as much breathing space as they were given. I wouldn’t go as far as to say the play was bloated, but a good 5 minutes could have been shaved off.
A play about football faces unique challenges. The ensemble performed beloved Liverpool chants which the audience understandably wanted to join in with. This didn’t quite work in a few places, but the actors dealt with this very well.
This also wasn’t the most theatre etiquette compliant audience I’ve ever sat with. There were a lot of noisy phones, and audible chatter. Most of this chatting was excited comments about players and teams, but it did distract me slightly. The play did descend into panto for a few moments (oh yes it did), but assuredly steered itself back on course.
This didn’t just feel like a play, but instead a collective experience for likeminded fans of Liverpool Football Club
Red or Dead was a gem of a play. Bill Shankly’s story was told with light and laughter by Mullan and the ensemble cast. Without a doubt you need to be invested in Liverpool as a city and a football club to appreciate the beauty of this play, but I don’t think there is any problem with creating a work with a specific audience in mind.
It’s a shame so few will see Red or Dead, but there’s also a beauty in knowing I have seen such a wonderful work while I got the chance to.
Check out the Royal Court Theatre here:
https://liverpoolsroyalcourt.com
Click here to read more reviews from LGSM: https://www.liverpoolguildstudentmedia.co.uk/category/reviews/
