Theatre review: What The Animals Say

Playwright David Ireland has fans among Hollywood stars but the 50-seat Finborough Theatre remains a regular venue for some of his older work, and now that includes his debut play, which features a couple of men trying to impress one such star. But being a work by a writer who's inspired by the scars left by decades of sectarianism, the star in question is one who's not exactly known for embracing all peoples and beliefs. What The Animals Say features two characters who grew up in Northern Ireland but, having premiered at Òran Mór in Glasgow, its starting point is the Scottish city's own history of Catholic vs Protestant rivalry, most famously expressed through the two local football clubs. Eddie (Robbie Martin) is a professional footballer from Belfast, who after a fight with Alex Ferguson ended up transferred to Celtic - despite being a Protestant.He's also on the Northern Ireland squad, and on his way back to Belfast to train for an international match he meets Jimmy (Matthew…