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An Evening with Gary Lineker
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<p><i>An Evening with Gary Lineker</i> is a 1991 stage play and 1994 television film both written by <a href="/facts/Arthur_Smith_(comedian)/wMBYUBTN">Arthur Smith</a> and <a href="/facts/Chris_England/laLNSzGG">Chris England</a>. </p><p>The action takes place against the backdrop of the <a href="/facts/1990_FIFA_World_Cup/cvNEr17L">1990 Football World Cup</a> <a href="/facts/England_and_Germany_football_rivalry/Lm0S86Xm">semi-final</a>, between <a href="/facts/England_national_football_team/N71IuE3t">England</a> and <a href="/facts/Germany_national_football_team/uPrY0NUd">West Germany</a>, which is taking place in Italy while Monica and Bill are on holiday in <a href="/facts/Ibiza/CcIrfuxH">Ibiza</a>. Bill desperately wants to watch the match; Monica wants to talk about their relationship. </p><p>The play was nominated for an <a href="/facts/Olivier_Award/E5kWXxU3">Olivier Award</a>. </p><p>A 90-minute television drama, adapted by Smith and England from their playscript, was produced by <a href="/facts/Andy_Harries/mywahuQ2">Andy Harries</a> for <a href="/facts/Granada_Television/DFkpt7mC">Granada Television</a> and aired on 14 June 1994 on <a href="/facts/ITV_Network/pIlD3oza">ITV</a> just before the start of the <a href="/facts/1994_FIFA_World_Cup/17zzH74g">1994 World Cup</a> and was repeated 4 years later during <a href="/facts/1998_FIFA_World_Cup/red67NvM">France 98</a>. It starred <a href="/facts/Caroline_Quentin/sA3q4fXE">Caroline Quentin</a> as Monica and <a href="/facts/Clive_Owen/cUWtqfHW">Clive Owen</a> as Bill, with the supporting cast including Quentin's then real-life husband <a href="/facts/Paul_Merton/4WbUXBXy">Paul Merton</a> as Bill's wet, annoying best friend Ian, who has accompanied them on the holiday to Monica's consternation. Lizzy McInnerny plays Birgitta, a German whom Ian has met in Ibiza, and <a href="/facts/Martin_Clunes/jR802bQP">Martin Clunes</a> plays Dan, a client of Bill's publishing company with whom Monica is having an affair, who is coincidentally in Ibiza too. <a href="/facts/Gary_Lineker/tQI2SD7Q">Gary Lineker</a> makes a cameo appearance and the voice of <a href="/facts/John_Motson/E5kITroX">John Motson</a> is provided by impressionist <a href="/facts/Alistair_McGowan/wzkgSKR2">Alistair McGowan</a>. </p>