England legend and hero of Italia 90 came to the Kings Theatre Southsea on a damp dreary November night. Or so we thought? Heading through the driving rain I felt hope and excitement in at last meeting the great man. The Kings was packed to the rafters and the bars were overflowing filled with frustrated fans trying desperately to grab a beer but alas stocks ran out and the bars closed promptly for the performance at 7.30 p.m. The curtain call came and the mases gathered waiting to pay homage to Gazza. The PA opened the proceedings by saying we had a fantastic guest waiting to come on. Faces lit up as at last we were going meet Paul. But no, it was a foul-mouthed comedian using an expletive with every other word and a body of material that would be too crude to include in this review. Impatience grew, resulting in howls and boos and more swearing (from the audience) but still the comedian ploughed on. The atmosphere was now turning decidedly toxic and we were eventually put out of our misery. Now an hour through the show but still no Paul, chants of we want Gazza were greeted by the long-suffering PA, informing us we about to have an auction. By this time, I was feeling very uncomfortable, the frustrations that were being vented were now turning to anger, this was not the entertaining evening I was looking forward to. With Gazza still nowhere in sight and my partner pleading to leave, I left this famous old theatre feeling down hearted and disappointed to have not seen my hero but genuinely relieved to be out of, what was fast becoming, a very hostile evening.
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Alan Merrett
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