THERE is now another derby match on Merseyside...

Liverpool v Wirral.

It's a feisty fixture and the plot line in every performance of the Royal Court's home-grown production.

Audiences, I am reliably informed, are comprised of 50 per cent Liverpool and 50 per cent Wirral theatre-goers.

Each side wanting to know what the other team is saying about them.

This show would not travel well.

In fact, it wouldn't want to.

That is it's great attraction.

It's a local show for local people.

Writers Dave Kirby and Nicky Allt are rightly proud of this modern day Ealing Comedy-styled musical which helped launch their joint and solo careers with Brick Up The Mersey Tunnels in 2006.

Their reunion for Part 2 of the tale shows they still have the ability to bounce ideas off each other along with Bob Eaton's deft direction.

Brick Up One 'smashed it' at the box office.

The sequel from 2017 looks like doing the same.

The surreal cartoon-like characters are like an all-action Scouse version of Toy Story with, of course, earthy language, sexual references galore and very funny cross-river rivalry and numerous name checks from Birkenhead to Breck Road.

Stereotypes abound and insults come thick and fast.

It's all in the best, possible tongue-in-cheek taste.

It has been tweaked since it was last staged with Donald Trump and leaving Europe making guest topical appearances.

Nearly every line gets a laugh.

And, to use a football analogy, there some cracking 'assists' in the two and half hours of Mersey-inspired mayhem on Billy Meall's slick moveable set aided by the sounds of musical director Howard Gray's fab three-piece band.

So, to re-cap: the tunnels are blocked, the Runcorn Bridge is now rubble and the mad mercenaries - the 'Kingsway Three' - have completed their patriotic mission but Wirral's not happy.

Led by blue-rinsed rebel, Thatcher-loving Ann Twacky they spear-head Birkenhexit ...

They don't want the tunnels back.

One look at the team sheet shows the range of the talent on stage to pull off the demands of this show.

Andrew Schofield as Dicky Lewis displays his spot-on comic timing and is a very accomplished guitarist.

His Bin Laden song is a must see, must hear highlight.

There are some chart hits adapted in true irreverent Royal Court style.

Under Pressure becomes an anthem for Cheshire.

There's a delightful duet between lovely Maggie (Suzanne Collins) and Gerard Gardner (Paul Duckworth) on Take That's Back For Good which musically morphs into a love song for fry-ups.

Eithne Brown is simply super once again as Ann; Francis Tucker is as manic as ever as Liz Card and Roy Brandon excels as the gormless Dennis Twacky.

Jake Abraham as Nick Walton and Danny Burns as Elliot Neston complete this extremely likeable premiership line-up.

Brick Up 2 is a creative, gag-peppered cauldron - a deliciously daft mix of Scouse and Wirral stew made with lashings of slapstick, panto, sit-com sketches and pop parodies.

Welcome back to the crazy gang.

Five Stars

Bring on Brick Up 3!

The show is on until April 6.

Tickets from 0151 709 4321.