STAGE: Bob the Russian @ Footlights Theatre, Salford - 27/04

Will Stevenson
Apr 24, 2018
1 min read

A script about tensions between English and Russian fans at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, hosted in Moscow, seems like something could be written ten, twenty years from now when the competition is stuff of folklore.

Yet Naughty Corner Productions have encapsulated the growing global hysteria of the post-Syria, "Cold War 2" era geo-politcal landscape - and plonks those fears into a darkly hilarious, deftly physical and thought provoking heist-movie style play.

Bob the Russian depicts a World Cup final between the two countries - with more police around the stadium than ever seen in Moscow's history. A cunning alliance sees a disparate group of Russians and English con-artists join together to use the distraction of the cup final to their advantage - and rob Russia's biggest bank.

The Manchester show is the productions second preview, before a three show run at Liverpool's Unity Theatre (June 28-30) and a spectacular nine show run this summer at the Edinburgh Fringe (August 3-11) - where the director Mike Dickinson previously caught national attention with debut production The Bastard Queen in 2013, winning the Sunday Times National Drama award.

The first preview screening saw an audience left amazed - as shown in the video below.