World Cup Final 1966 (Bristol Old Vic)

Like England’s World Cup campaign, World Cup Final 1966, at Bristol Old Vic, provides entertaining moments but has a shaky spine that means it ultimately falls a little short. Whilst the story of how England won the World Cup is an interesting one it never leaves one wanting to sing from the terraces.

Football in the 21st century is like a religion and director Tom Morris and designer Katie Sykes have cleverly incorporated this into the look and feel of the show as we begin in a church, as a couples first daughter is about to be christened Geoff (after Hurst, the hat trick hero of the World Cup Final) before we are whizzed back to 1950, England’s defeat to the USA in that years World Cup and Alf Ramsey’s gradual ascent to lead the nation to home glory.

There are plenty of inventive moments in Morris’ (who co-wrote the piece with Carl Heap) staging, with candlesticks being used as goalposts, a ball on a stick and a mid show detour to Pinewood which offers Stewart Wright a chance to give his best Sean Connery in his 007 days. The particular highlight for me comes from the England and Uruaguyan game being portrayed as a difference between a military two step of the English and the sexy pulsing cha cha of the South Americans. The hard working cast act, sing and play their own instruments and almost all of whom, with their different shapes, ages and genders don’t fit the bill as athletically toned, world cup winning sportsmen. Ray Weskin as the rather long in the tooth Bobby Charlton most takes to the silliness at its heart and steals the show

There are enough ideas being thrown out to fill a couple of shows and that is the problem. You feel as if nothing has been cut in rehearsal, what feels like a charming 70 minute Edinburgh show has been dragged out to 140 minutes, with each set piece dragged out to maximum capacity. Some of the ideas stick, others don’t but because each is dwelt upon leisurely you feel these longeurs. The final match itself lacks the invention of some of the earlier staging and begins to drag when it really should be hitting its crescendo. Whilst you have to applaud the sheer wit and silliness of what is on offer, World Cup Final 1966 could do with a more ruthless finish to gain three points rather then the score draw it eventually gains.

World Cup Final plays until the 12th July 2014.