Writer: Gary McNair
Director: James Brining
Music: Ricky Ross
The joys and sorrows of football are always challenging to render on stage. That’s especially true in the case of the lower leagues and less glamorous teams, but this high-calibre production captures something of the essence of true fandom. Gary McNair’s script waves the flag for Cowdenbeath FC, the self-styled ‘Blue Brazil’, sharing moments both ephemeral and eternal – from pie-munching banter on the terraces to stories of near-triumph and adversity. Names and sporting attributes of past players are dredged up and celebrated. Even though the audience won’t remember them, they will be remembered.
In a familiar trope, Sally (Dawn Steele) returns from the metropolis to her home town upon her dad’s death. He was a miner and committed Cowdenbeath fan, appearing here in flashback (played by Barrie Hunter) and adding pathos and gentle humour. The superb set by Jessica Worrall depicts a working class social club that’s mostly a backdrop for Sally’s energetic storytelling, the space functioning equally well as her dad’s council house and as the terraces of his beloved Central Park.
A little way downstage, seated at an upright piano, is Ricky Ross. His understated performance, commenting on the action like a one-man Greek chorus, is utterly brilliant. The series of songs he’s composed specially for the show are thoughtful, short and relevant.
The story itself, adapted from Ron Ferguson’s 1990s book, is reasonably engaging but a bit thin for a full-length show. Sally feels bound to honour her father’s wish to have his ashes scattered on Central Park after a Cowdenbeath win. However, their poor run of form means she has to return time after time, endangering her job prospects at a demanding London legal firm. Soon she’s caught in a classic dilemma between loyalty to her dad’s memory – and by extension, to her home culture – and her actual ambitions.
She repeatedly attends matches clutching the urn containing her dad’s ashes, only to find that the team loses or draws. Repetition is part of the joke, of course, but this is rather like Groundhog Day on fast-forward. We don’t get much sense of Sally’s wider life apart from ‘Dad’ and ‘job’, and lurking memories of a family tragedy.
There are reflections on erstwhile links between mining, football and the community. The sentimentality is enjoyable but the message is rather ‘on the nose’. Both cast members give an excellent turn, but perhaps there was scope to have an additional character appear in the flesh rather than being referred to or impersonated.
Runs until 23 May 2026 | Image: Aly White
