And Did Those Feet at The Octagon, Bolton IS there such a thing as community these days? There certainly was in Bolton in 1923.
The war had just ended, there was social unrest, but Bolton Wanderers were Wembley bound.
Football,eh! John Terry couldn't knit a jumper, never mind bind a community together. Wanderers hero David Bone Nightingale Jack could though, and I bet he didn't spend his life quibbling about wages while half his country was unemployed.
This play, written by The University of Bolton's Les Smith and Martin Thomasson makes a deserved return to the Octagon after triumphing at the theatre's 40th anniversary celebration in 2007. The surprise is it's even more moving than before.
Martin Barrass as Bob the newsagent, who walks to Wembley, provides the laughs as well as the reminder as to what community spirit is all about, while lovestruck Ted (Mark Letheren) and Martha(Naomi Radcliffe) have to juggle religion, wedding plans and football and Ted's brother Jim's (Curtis Cole) Communist leanings with the harsh realities of day to day life.
Ex-Octagon director Mark Babych wisely does not mess too much with the original, and there's plenty of laughters and tears in the audience.
The acting, the writing and the direction are all brilliant and any fears that this play could be just too local are way wide of the mark.
At a time when, to many people, Bolton is struggling as a town, this is the sort of play that can make you really proud of where you live.
Me, my Mum, my partner and my neighbour left believing this to be the most moving and, strangely enough, the most entertaining play we had seen since, well, the last time it was on.
This is a play for anyone who loves Bolton, its football team or who appreciates plays about social history. I could watch it seven nights a week - it really is that good.
This truly is a play for Bolton.
* And Did Those Feet is at The Octagon until April 10. Tickets 01204 520661 or www.octagonbolton.co.uk
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