Beating Berlusconi! returns to Liverpool to mark 20th anniversary of LFC win at Istanbul

Liverpool’s iconic Champions League triumph in Istanbul will be celebrated in hilarious style as cult comedy Beating Berlusconi! makes its much-anticipated return to the stage.

Beating Berlusconi! will take over The Dome at Grand Central Hall for a strictly limited run on 23-24 May 2025, perfectly timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of that unforgettable night.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (20 December) at 10am, and with Liverpool fans already buzzing, demand is expected to be through the roof.

Paul Duckworth (Brick Up the Mersey Tunnels, Mam! I’m ‘Ere, Lost Soul 2, Horrible Histories, Sweeney Todd and The Big I Am) will reprise his stellar performance playing dozens of different characters. Matt Rutter, formerly the director of the Young Everyman Playhouse, also returns as Director of the 2025 production.

And not only does the strictly limited run coincide with the 20^th anniversary of Liverpool’s famous Champions League victory against AC Milan, but with the club currently at the top of the English Premier League, the show could also be taking place on the same weekend Liverpool secures the 2024-25 Premiership title.

Beating Berlusconi! tells the story of die-hard football fan Kenny Noonan who travels to Istanbul with his mates to watch his beloved Liverpool FC battle for the Champions League crown. This is one man’s attempt to rediscover his belief in himself, his club, his city – and his class.

It was inspired by the remarkable real-life experience of Liverpool fan Mark Radley who followed his team to Istanbul on 25 May 2005. Despairing at seeing Liverpool 0-3 down at half-time, Mark set off in search of a drink – only to find himself in what turned out to be an exclusive VIP area, with AC Milan President and Italy’s then PM, Silvio Berlusconi.

When Mark cheered on the Reds as they drew level in the game’s final minutes, Signor Berlusconi lost it – and things got even stranger.

Beating Berlusconi! was premiered in Liverpool in 2009 and subsequently toured, including dates in Norway. It has also been published to widespread media acclaim in Italy.

This production, from Turf Love Productions, is the first time it has been seen on stage since 2018.

Writer and producer John Graham Davies said:

“I’m really excited Beating Berlusconi! is heading back to the stage in Liverpool to mark 20 years since that heart-stopping Champions League final in May 2005, a night of high drama that has rightly claimed its place in both the club’s history and that of the wider city. We’ve been asked many, many times over the years if it would be returning, and now it is.

“I’m also delighted that human chameleon Paul Duckworth will be reprising his extraordinary tour-de-force performance as the play’s die-hard Red, Kenny, along with 35 other characters, telling a tale that doesn’t just stop at the ‘miracle of Istanbul’ itself. It’s a hugely physical role, taking in Heysel and Hillsborough, and Paul is a brilliant storyteller.

“The Dome is a fantastic, democratic space and the perfect setting for the show. I know it’s going to be a memorable weekend, especially if Liverpool’s current form continues through the rest of the season.”