Two Brothers and One World Cup

Two Brothers and One World Cup is the story of Micky and Jimmy, two football-mad Lancashire boys whose lives pass in four-yearly cycles, defined entirely by the evolving history of the World Cup. They’ve even formed a rubbish pub band to entertain the Rochdale locals on matchday.

However, despite their apparent closeness, it’s not all happy families for the Vindaloo brothers. Jimmy has been put upon ever since he fell into the nearby canal, aged 11. His older brother, Micky, pulled him out, saving his life and winning the approval of their otherwise cold father. Jimmy, characterised by his family as a useless, clumsy and daft clot, finds himself unable to break free of his reputation and stands idly by as his life gets away from him. Micky on the other hand, rides the wave of family support, thrives, leaves Rochdale for university, gets a well-paying job and gets the girl… for a while at least.

While the performances from Zack Lee and Ian Curley are perfectly amiable and energetic, it’s clear that not much thought has gone into this show. It does nothing to explore or challenge the jingoistic expressions of Englishness that are so entwined with the national football team that one really has to be of that ilk to truly enjoy much of the on-stage larking. Moreover, its central narrative theme—that of sibling rivalry and favouritism—is based upon the shakiest of premises and indeed when the big twist comes it’s not so much The Sixth Sense as Much Ado About Nothing.