Beating Berlusconi! announces Istanbul anniversary dates

Beating Berlusconi! is set to return to the Liverpool stage in 2025 to mark the 20th anniversary of Liverpool’s Champions League triumph in Istanbul.

The one-man stage comedy, starring Paul Duckworth, will come to the Dome at Grand Central Hall in Renshaw Street for two nights on May 23 and 24.

The show, written and produced by John Graham Davies and directed by Matt Rutter, tells the story of die-hard Red Kenny Noonan and his escapades with his mates as he follows his team to Turkey for the ultimate European football match.

Davies’ plot was inspired by real-life Liverpool fan Mark Radley, from Allerton, who was at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium on May 25, 2005 to watch the team take on AC Milan.

With Liverpool 0-3 down at half time, Radley went in search of a drink and accidently found himself in a VIP hospitality area with then Italian PM (and AC Milan president) Silvio Berlusconi who was none too happy when the Reds came surging back to last-minute victory, and Radley celebrated in noisy fashion.

Beating Berlusconi! was premiered in Liverpool in 2009 and this is the first time it has been performed since 2018.

Duckworth plays three dozen different characters as well as the central role of Kenny.

Writer and producer Davies says: “I’m really excited Beating Berlusconi! is heading back to the stage in Liverpool to mark 20 years since that heart-stopping Champions League final in May 2005, a night of high drama that has rightly claimed its place in both the club’s history and that of the wider city. We’ve been asked many, many times over the years if it would be returning, and now it is.

“I’m also delighted that human chameleon Paul Duckworth will be reprising his extraordinary tour-de-force performance as the play’s die-hard Red, Kenny, along with 35 other characters, telling a tale that doesn’t just stop at the ‘miracle of Istanbul’ itself. It’s a hugely physical role, taking in Heysel and Hillsborough, and Paul is a brilliant storyteller.

“The Dome is a fantastic, democratic space and the perfect setting for the show. I know it’s going to be a memorable weekend, especially if Liverpool’s current form continues through the rest of the season.”

Beating Berlusconi! is at the Dome at Grand Central Hall on May 23-24. Details and tickets HERE