PERSIL Town! "The only chocolate you'll find in York is at the sweet factories!" York has heard all the accusations of being a racist city, dating back to the burning of the Jewish community huddled inside Clifford's Tower in 1190.

This perception adds still more pertinence to the first production outside London of Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads, a bloody, bruised account of England's obsession with football, race and loss of national and cultural identity, written by black playwright Roy Williams.

The play has not been staged since its National Theatre debut but not because of any shortcomings in the piece, nor because of the full-throttle pub language.

The size of the cast - 14 - has been prohibitive, but the long friendship of Williams and artistic director Marcus Romer, and Romer's wish to mark Pilot Theatre's 25th anniversary with a big show, has given York the regional premiere.

Williams wanted to write a play that would be "closer to the bone", prompted to cut deeper after he watched England's Euro 2000 game against Germany in a Birmingham pub in a xenophobic atmosphere.

His setting is the last day of the old Wembley - symbolically the end of the Empire - as England play Germany once more.

The lads of the victorious King George pub team have the run of the London boozer, watching Keegan's inept last match in management with rising anger under the old East End eye of Jimmy (Claude Close) and his no-nonsense landlady daughter Gina (Sally Orrock).

Any number of flashpoints could erupt. Gina's impressionable son, Glen (Mikey North), wants to run with estate lads Bad T (Charles Mnene) and Duane, who abuse his doe-eyed desperation.

Mark (Mark Moreno), back on the manor after a bucketful of racial abuse in the army, has unfinished business with his younger brother, the team's black star striker, Barry (Peter Bankole), who so yearns to be one of the boys.

Policeman Lee (Andrew Falvey) is struggling to hold his own innate feelings in check and to curb the overt, hooligan racism of his brother, Lawrie (the outstanding Tim Treloar).

White supremacist Alan (Deka Walmsley) nags away, preaching the power of disarming literature over the brutal fist.

Marcus Romer's fast, furious direction cranks up the fierce friction; Sweetie Irie's songs and Sandy Nuttgens' soundtrack add further punch, but the most powerful hand is played by Williams.

He gradually peels back different layers of racism on all sides until, like Lord Of The Flies or West Side Story, the play erupts. As with Romeo And Juliet, you wonder how much is learned in the bloody mess.

Sing Yer Heart Out For The Lads, Pilot Theatre/York Theatre Royal, at York Theatre Royal, until October 7; then on tour until November 18. Box office: 01904 623568.