'I'll be Bert' by Bill Cronshaw

Please click here to read 'The Stage' review from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2009.

Please click here to read the article by Jane Dyer published in 'The Independent' on Sunday 4th January 2009.

My wife and I saw the play at the Garrick Stockport on 29th October 2008.
We both thought it was brilliant and really enjoyed the play and the superb acting. I also enjoyed the images of Main Road.
The play was very funny and it also painted a very accurate picture of life in the 50's and demonstrated how much things have changed in less than a life time, all cleverly woven around the story of unlikely hero Bert
I was 10 years old at the time of the 56 cup final and remember it vividly. I listened to the radio for the results of each round. I particularly remember that the Southend pitch was a mud bath and then the disallowed after time Liverpool "equaliser".
My father went to both Wembley finals and came home in tears both times but for different reasons. He lost his trilby at the 56 final throwing it the air at the final whistle along with thousands of others. He wore the biggest rosette, home made, that I have ever seen.
My wife who I only recently managed to get interested in City and became a season ticket holder only last year also thoroughly enjoyed, even though I used a bit of subterfuge by not mentioning who the Bert was when I told her I had got tickets for the pay. She was quite surprised to see books of Bert for sale in the Theatre and even more surprised when some of the audience turned up adorned in City scarves. The game was up when she saw a City scarf hung up on the stage. Fortunately the play was so brilliant I escaped the frosty silence usually associated with my wrong doings.
Another guy in the audience would not have been so lucky. He used the same subterfuge as myself but his wife was less forgiving. She went berserk in the ladies at half time saying she had been conned. My wife listened patiently to her ratings and then simply said "yes I do see your point but it is a very funny play you must be enjoying it". "I am" she replied. A really good evening spoiled only by a typical City result at Middlesbrough, yet again snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
Kind regards, Dave Tracey

Just a thankyou for a very enjoyable theatre vist last night at the Studio. The piece was a well presented slice of both social and sporting history. All the best to yourselves ( and City!)
Regards Gill and Dennis Cope   

Hi Bill, I went to Altringham to watch your play and I thought that it was brilliant. Brilliantly written and performed.
Thanks for a great evening, Nige                                                                              

Hello, please pass on my appreciation to mr cronshaw of the play on monday night at the garrick in alty. I really enjoyed the performance and production. Mr Cronshaw was excellent and brought the period to life. It was also very sad at times, and touching. Very funny and painful. Struck a real chord. Thanks for giving me a memorable evening and providing a real appreciation of a true manchester great.
cheers, Michael Corrigan

I had the good fortune to see you perform I’ll Be Bert at the Everyman Theatre on Friday night and, as a lifelong Manchester City fan from Wythenshawe, I thought it was a thoroughly entertaining and thought-provoking play. I have my father to blame for my City obsession and would love to have the chance to take him to see I’ll Be Bert as your play covered so many topics of conversation we have had over the years, especially as he would have been about the same age at the time Bert was playing for City. Could you please let me know if there are any plans for the play to return to the Everyman, or indeed be shown at any other theatres in the near future.

Thanks again for a great evening
Colin Dyer

I know I said it at the Saturday matinee, but a big "well done!" again. The Bailey Family thoroughly enjoyed your performance. Well written and well acted, as Openshaw boys, it certainly took my brother and myself through a whole range of emotions from laughter to the proverbial lump in the eye and tear in the throat! I wish you every success with 'I'll Be Bert' and do hope that the man himself is able to get to one of your performances.

With kind regards, 
Dave Bailey

I have just returned from the Friday night performance of Bill Cronshaw’s latest play, ‘I’ll be Bert’, the story of the footballing career of legendary Manchester City goalkeeper Bert Trautmann, staged at Cheltenham’s Everyman Studio Theatre.  A brilliant montage of Trautmann’s life as seen through the eyes of a Manchester City fan, played as man and boy by Bill Cronshaw.  Himself a lifelong City fan, Bill gets the mood of the era just right.  Ben, my 10 year old son (for whom football is more important than life and death) was enthralled.  As always Bill managed to make me laugh and make me cry, all in the space of 90 minutes!!
“The good thing about supporting city son, is that you learn to lose gracefully in life.”

Keith Hitchman