EDINBURGH 2025: Review: TED MILLIGAN: UNITED, Pleasance Courtyard, Bunker Three

From the moment Ted Milligan strides on to the stage to the roar of football anthems, the atmosphere is electric. His debut hour, United, is a masterclass in character-led mockumentary, charting the fortunes of the fictional Crubchester United F.C. affectionately known as the Crubs, as they battle to reclaim their place in the league.

The premise is pitch perfect. Crubchester, a once-proud football town, has fallen on hard times. Now owned by a six-year-old billionaire whose interests lie more in Yoshi and Sonic than in football tactics, the club’s fate hangs on the arrival of a no-nonsense manager and the determination of its die-hard fans. Milligan channels them all: the pub landlord holding court, the local author waxing lyrical, the sacked seasoned manager full of cliché-ridden wisdom, the new underwhelming manager and the players whose dreams are as fragile as their form. Each is drawn with sharp observational detail, delivered with affectionate wit.

There is plenty for football aficionados to relish, from accounts of big league games to the surreal glory of the progression from the Milk Cup. A highlight is the inspired sequence on changing the mascot, including an unforgettable Iguana called Victory. Milligan builds palpable tension in the play-off scenes, then undercuts it with perfectly timed gags.

Beneath the laughter runs a genuine love for the beautiful game, as a force for community and men’s mental health. The final moments, showing real clips of Milligan with his family and friends at matches, reveal the heart behind the humour. It is both a celebration and a gentle send-up of the tribal joy which football brings. Especially great for Welcome to Wrexham fans.

A big comedy score, Milligan's United is hilarious, celebrating football culture, mocking the nuances. So observational, entertaining and knowlegeable, he is quite, frankly deserving of his own sketch show.

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