By Peter Maddern
This is Raphael Wakefield’s first show and who knows if he’ll manage another; not because this is a dud (hardly, as this is very good) but because it has been no less than 22 years in the making.
As the name suggests, Wengerball is about Arsene Wenger’s time as manager of Arsenal but not so much about him personally but the profound changes in the top flight of English football across his time, from being a radical to the game to one swept up in the corporatisation of English football, through the arrival of Russian oil oligarchs to the dash for new stadia and the like.
The show is a series of voice and character impersonations of various luminaries of the club (mostly owners) and others well known in the game; his moments as Jose Mourinho are more than worth the price of admission. About the only time we actually hear from Wenger are his poignant comments about what matters at the time of his retirement.
Obviously Gunner groupies will lap this up but the show is more than a love-in for the fans of N1 but for all footballer followers. Wakefield’s voices are excellent, his patter amusing and his commentary about football spot on.
Kryztoff Rating 4K
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