World Cup fever starts to build, so The Miracle of Great Homer Street arrives to take us back in time and score what should be a sure-fire hit for Liverpool’s Royal Court Theatre.

We are swept away to 1978, as the football-loving Father Aherne (Les Dennis) moves into the home of a parishioner and her family just in time for the World Cup and, thanks to heavenly forces, finds himself on the verge of winning a bookie-busting fortune.

A runner up in last year’s Hope Playwriting Prize, Great Homer Street is a show that delights in defying expectations as Gerry Linford’s warm and witty script isn’t afraid to mix the laughs with a good touch of pathos.

Seasoned Director Bob Eaton skillfully juggles the two, never content to simply coast by on the undoubted charm of his cast, it’s the play’s more poignant moments that really leave a mark.

The often-underrated Les Dennis may be the face on the poster, but in truth, this is an ensemble piece, and one that benefits from a uniformly strong cast.

Catherine Rice brings a real depth to good-hearted matriarch Marion, whilst Kate King’s Bella finds comedy gold with pretentious punk boyfriend Jamie, an excellent Bobby Schofield.

Jake Abraham’s superbly scouse St. Cajetan often threatens to steal the show, but it’s the chemistry between Dennis and Andrew Schofield’s genial everyman Terry that lends the play its great big heart.

The two veteran performers play off each other perfectly, lending undeniable charm and gravitas to proceedings.

Schofield is such a familiar presence on the Liverpool stage that it’s often easy to forget what a skilled actor he is. Here, he’s at his best, at one point bringing the usually boisterous Royal Court audience to complete silence before breaking their hearts in a moment of true poignancy.

Special praise must go to designer Olivia du Monceau’s impressive set that perfectly captures the era while still containing some celestial grandeur.

She is aided by the always dependable Ian Scott, whose lighting design manages to be at times both subtle and surreal.

The Miracle of Great Homer isn’t perfect. Not all the jokes hit home and it sometimes finds itself too content to ride the nostalgia train, but it’s hard to be too critical when the entire production is just so likeable.

A lovely surprise to kick off the summer. It must be heaven-sent.