I, Keano Lowry, Salford Quays, until Saturday
Sitting in the shadows of Manchester United's Old Trafford ground, Salford's Lowry is an appropriate venue for the first UK run of I, Keano, a spoof musical by Michael Nugent, Paul Woodfull and Father Ted co-creator Arthur Mathews based on Roy Keane's notorious departure from Ireland's 2002 World Cup training camp.
The beautiful game, however, rarely makes for great theatre, which explains the writers' decision to portray the team as the Legionnaires, a motley collection of Roman soldiers preparing for battle. Dessie Gallagher is Macartacus, an out-of-his-depth general whose pre-conflict planning has been less than thorough. Keano (Denis Foley), the Legionnaires' star combatant, suspects as much. After a series of mildly homoerotic consultations with Fergie the Hairdryer God (Gary Cooke's hilariously unintelligible pastiche of United boss Sir Alex Ferguson), Keano decides he's had enough.
The gags and one-liners come as thick and fast as Keane collects yellow cards. While nobody could seriously argue that I, Keano is high art, it certainly makes for an uproarious night out.
