Edinburgh Fringe 2026

We Have A Dream

Fast Snail Productions

Genre: Comedy, New Writing, Theatre

Venue: theSpace@Symposium Hall

Festival: Edinburgh Fringe

Low Down

Review

We all have dreams.  It’s what keeps us sane, hanging on to the hope that things can only get better.  That one day, this nightmare that passes for life will magically morph into, well, something a bit less nightmarish.

Like that one day Scotland will actually win the Europeans.  Or the Worlds, provided that Infantino stops meddling with it.  You see, it’s fitba we’re talking aboot here, y’ken.  Scottish fitba.  A religion in its own rite.  Where hope springs eternal that the Tartan Army, through their collective willpower and raucous rabble-rousing, can drive the latest incarnation of their cherished team to victory.  Which is where, of course, the dream turns delusional.

Scotland qualifying for any serious football tournament is a rare event.  So, having secured a berth in the 2024 European Cup in Germany, four friends decide this is their “once-in-a-lifetime” chance to see the boys in blue bring home the silverware.  Cammy, Stevie, Tam and Jamesy have been pals since college, those days now a distant memory as each approach their thirties.  Yet the chance to rekindle old friendships whilst pursuing the passion that once bonded them sees them throw collective caution to the winds, pool their resources and head for the airport.

But, as soon as they’ve touched down, the dream inexorably unravels, starting with the tickets (or lack thereof) which forces the quartet to watch their lads take a 5-1 drubbing from the host nation in a local bar.  That’s full of Germans.  Ouch.  Attempts to replace the lost tickets meet with scant reward which, in turn, surfaces discontent and disillusion as the quartet slowly dissembles, mirroring events on the pitch as Scotland prepare for the inevitable early exit.

However, this darkest moment is the presage of a new dawn as tickets are found for the final group game, allowing the gang to at least see one match live, even if the result was another lame defeat.

This cleverly constructed and staged piece of theatre uses football, in part, as an extended allegory around which the real-life dreams, aspirations, secrets and fears harboured by each member of the gang slowly surface and where the associated vicissitudes of life screech louder than any referee’s whistle.

Cammy (the convincingly diffident Adam Edgar) is convinced he’s done the right thing in becoming a lawyer, forgiving his fiancee’s indiscretions in his quest for the career surety he aspires to.  Tam (the charismatic Dylan Frew) dreams of not being so dependent on his dealer that he’s had to move into the accommodation provided that effectively keeps him hooked.  Jamesy (played with aplomb by Jordan Monks) finds himself trapped in a relationship that now involves a lifelong commitment he didn’t think he’d signed up for.  And Stevie (played with genuine angst and conviction by Robbie Hall) harbours a chilling secret that, when revealed, brings pure pathos and poignancy that was as unexpected as it was gently delivered.  Completing the cast was Andrea, the German ingenue barmaid (amongst other things), roles delivered with panache by Laura Doppel.

Jordan Monks and Dylan Frew have pulled together a tight script, full of lads’ banter, delivered with pace and liberal use of Scottish patois.  Jorgie Buchan’s direction is assured, the action flowing through a series of carefully choreographed scenes, each nicely segued with appropriate musical stings – the lighting and set changes being effected with commendable efficiency.  Props are simple and prosaic, lighting and sound supportive to the story as it unfolds.  And the costumes?  Well, what else but kilts and replica Scotland kits – a fitba fan’s nirvana.

We Have a Dream has a lot to recommend it.  Strong script, consummate acting (with real chemistry evident between the five universally strong cast), tight direction and a story that’s easily relatable, full of humour, mischief and fun, yet tinged with pathos.

There’s even a happy ending, of sorts.   Just when all seems lost, dreams start to come to pass, with the icing on the cake being tickets to the final to watch Gareth Southgate’s England get humped by Spain.  If there’s one thing a Scottish fitba fan loves more than their team winning, it’s the Auld Enemy losing.  To anyone.  Well worth a look.

Published August 9, 2026 by Tim Wilcock