ABBA 4, Liverpool 0
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My cultural preferences were defined at an early age. As a pre-pubescent lad back in the UK, I was exposed to the best efforts of my Mother to interest me in the high-brow delights of London’s West End. This inevitably meant paying good money to see me moan and fidget my way through some God-awful Andrew Lloyd Webber production. If she, and everyone seated around me, was lucky enough, I would simply fall asleep. What I imagine irked my dear Mother even more, was that another faction of my family were die-hard supporters of our local football club. It was here that I took cultural refuge; travelling to such salubrious places as Walsall, Watford on cold February afternoons, I fell in love with the terrace banter, filthy language and dubious meat pies. Andrew Lloyd Webber - he of the face like a melted bin bag, and music to match - didn’t stand a chance.
So having recently attended two of Bangkok’s big summer cultural events – Liverpool FC’s pre-season tour match against Thailand, and ‘Mamma Mia!’, the ABBA-based musical production – you can imagine which I enjoyed more. Well, you’d be surprised; I certainly was.
Despite the local excitement and pre-match hype, the Liverpool-Thailand match was perhaps the most dire game of football I have ever had the misfortune to watch (and as a Leicester City fan, I have seen more than my fair share). The Liverpool players evidently wanted to be back on the beaches of Ibiza, and short-changed the expectant Thai fans with a performance so insipid that when it started to rain after 70 minutes, most were glad of the excuse to leave.
No-one watching Mamma Mia left early. By the big musical encore, the crowd were not only standing and applauding, but literally dancing in the aisles of the theatre! I must admit, I accompanied my excited girlfriend into the theatre with a pretty high level of trepidation. Not being a fan of musicals, or ABBA, my hopes weren’t high. But the show was delivered with such exuberance, effusive happiness, and over-the-top pantomime camp, that it was impossible not to smile and enjoy.
So maybe I’ve found the secret - maybe it’s not all musicals that are the problem, just the tawdry productions of old bin bag face. And maybe not all football is going to stoke my fire like a cold Wednesday night away it Ipswich. Funny how tastes change. If only they served meat pies at the theatre
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