Ever since Nottingham Forest suffered the indignity of becoming the first former European champions to slip into the old third division, fans have been praying for a miracle. Well, here it is - Brian Clough back from the dead.
Admittedly the reincarnation has taken place at the Playhouse rather than the City Ground; but even if Clough isn't going to lead Forest back to glory he can at least do the next best thing and cheer everybody up.
You might be forgiven for assuming that a show about Brian Clough must be a biographical monologue, or even something to do with football. But Stephen Lowe's play is practically a football-free zone, focusing instead on Jimmy, a blocked playwright who is struggling to come up with a piece about the second-greatest local hero who always dressed in green, Robin Hood.
Clough (initially seen warming the celestial bench alongside DH Lawrence and Byron) is summoned to earth to gee Jimmy up. The only problem is that Jimmy can't stand football or, worse still, football on stage: "Three sodding actors waving a scarf and slow motion sequences like some wankers' ballet in shorts."
It's a neat trick which sidesteps the issue of whether we are going to have to sit through endless explanations of the offside rule: what we do have to sit through instead are some interminable extracts from the awful Robin Hood drama which Clough has been sent to rescue.
Alan Dosser's production suffers the attendant pacing issues: everything grinds to a halt whenever Brian leaves the stage. But Colin Tarrant's Clough is a marvel: all wagging finger, rosy cheeks and eyebrows arched in permanent admonishment.
Tarrant tops a glorious performance with the most personalised rendition of My Way since Sid Vicious. It sets the seal on a play which everyone can enjoy - except Notts County fans, of course.
· Until June 25. Box office: 0115 941 9419
