You Couldn't Make it Up at the Live Theatre, Newcastle

Director Max Roberts, along with father and son writing team Michael and Tom Chaplin, masterfully modulate the saga from media spotlight to theatre limelight.

In an unconventional yet engaging approach, the fast-paced performance blends amusing anecdotes and real fans' testimony with speculative accounts of the relationship between Kevin Keegan (Bill Fellows) and owner Mike Ashley (Mark Benton).

The result is a witty account, dripping with nostalgia, interspersed with upbeat Geordie humour, yet comprehensive and candid in its scrutiny of the club's perennial failings.

The simplicity of the set, combined with the intimacy of the quayside venue, serve only to add to the impact and appeal of the performance.

The play will strike a chord with all football supporters, encapsulating the very essence of what it means to be a fan - the heady highs, the agonising lows and the innumerable undulations in between.

Though no Oscars will be awarded to the cast of four, the collective effort is punchy, vibrant and executed with endearing intensity.

This lively portrayal of the turbulence of Newcastle's immediate past will enchant fervent followers of football and enlighten, educate and entertain those less acquainted with the beautiful game.

Ben Kenyon