Manchester venue on cards for I, Keano

THE hit musical based on Manchester United captain Roy Keane’s infamous departure from Saipan before the World Cup may be staged in Britain.

Producers of the comedy, I, Keano, have confirmed they are speaking to “interested people” in Manchester about bringing the sell-out stage show across the Irish Sea.

One of the producers, Breda Cashe, joked: “If we go to Manchester we are definitely going to issue him a personal invitation.”

The veteran midfielder has not ruled out watching the comedy. Earlier this year, Keane said: “I’ve heard of it, that it is very good.”

When asked if he would attend if the show relocated to Manchester, he replied: “If they gave me a free ticket, maybe I might go.”

The musical has just returned with some new cast members for a month-long run at Dublin’s Olympia theatre after the first shows earlier this year sold out.

The production team are confident the show will continue to attract the crowds in droves.

Cashe said: “We are getting a great response. It is the same story line as the first run, there have been some script and cast changes, but just stuff that we saw last time and improved.”

Cashe said tickets were already in strong demand for the new run. “It played for four-and-a-half weeks last time, we were full every night playing to around 7,000 a week. In excess of 30,000 or 40,000 people saw it.”

The comedy, penned by Father Ted writer Arthur Mathews and Michael Nugent, was set as a Roman epic style musical.

It outlines Keane’s exit after tempers flared over facilities leading to a major showdown with manager Mick McCarthy shortly before the start of the 2002 World Cup finals.