Roy’s gone but I, Keano to open in Manchester

THE man himself may have headed further north but the producers of I, Keano are confident that enough of his aura lingers in Manchester to ensure the musical’s success when it hits the boards in the city in just over a month.

The play, which adapts the tale of Roy Keane's clash with former Ireland manager Mick McCarthy and transposes it to Ancient Rome, is to be staged at The Lowry Theatre, Salford, in Manchester, from February 27 to March 11. And though Keane has now left Manchester United for Glasgow Celtic, the producers are confident this will not diminish the show's appeal.

While the critics might not have reached dizzying heights of rapture with their reviews of the musical, it seemed to be a case of critics be damned, as it proved a massive success with audiences, selling out wherever it has played.