TOM CONTI - CONTI RELIEVED WORLD CUP IS OVER

Half-Italian actor TOM CONTI has an extra reason to celebrate Italy's World Cup victory, now the soccer tournament is over fans can switch off their TVs and return to the theatre. The 64-year-old cheered on the country of his father's birth in yesterday's (09JUL06) final - which Italy won on penalties over France - but grew tired of the toll the five week competition took on audience numbers at his play JEFFREY BERNARD IS UNWELL on London's West End. He says, "Theatre audiences have been down for the last five and a half weeks. Someone actually suggested we close down the show and put up a big screen in the theatre and show all the football matches instead."