Cast: John Branwell, Liz Carney, Jo Gerard, Catherine Kinsella, Ror North, Wendi Peters, Phil Rowson, Barrie Rutter, Matt Sutton, Jos Vantyler.

Harold Brighouse’s name might ring more bells with drama and literature lovers as the writer of the classic play Hobson’s Choice, however thanks to a dramatic find in a Canadian University, Barrie Rutter and his team of players that make up Northern Broadsides have breathed life into the play The Game.

Northern Broadsides have continued to thrill Liverpool audiences over the last few years, with productions such as The Man with Two Gaffers and their own take on Romeo and Juliet, it seems as though the company can do no wrong in wrong in local eyes.

The Game may have been missing for the better half of the last century but unerringly it is still incredibly relevant with today’s audiences. The idea of match fixing may have caught the nation’s attention in recent times, especially with the current situation between England and Pakistan but even in the first half of the twentieth century, The Welsh Wizard that was Billy Meredith was caught up in a scandal that saw the Manchester City side being decimated and Meredith being signed for by arch rivals Manchester United.

The play deals with this subject in a thoughtful comic way and no doubt Harold Brighouse would have nodded his head in appreciation as the cast dealt with a pre First-World War dialogue which the company had incredibly and brilliantly not changed or bought up to date to satisfy modern audiences.

Not one of the nine strong cast put a foot wrong and it was easy to see from the audience’s point of view that they all enjoyed being on stage for this performance. It would be wrong to highlight any individual for praise when everyone concerned was simply outstanding but praise must go to Barrie Rutter for directing this play in his own unique style and for giving the young Jos Vantyler his first taste of Northern Broadsides productions. Jos shone as the foppish, poetry loving, Brideshead Revisited like character of Leo Whitworth.

Whether a fan of theatre or of football, there is a lot to get out of this play and one of the most enjoyable nights out you will have this year.

Ian D. Hall