Black Diamonds and the Blue Brazil @ Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh

Leaving her burgeoning law career in London behind, Sally is back in her Fife hometown following the death of her father. And right now, there’s nowhere she’d rather be less than Cowdenbeath, and nothing she’d rather miss more than the next Cowdenbeath Football Club match. 

Wanting to fulfil her late dad’s wish for his ashes to be scattered on the pitch at the end of a Cowdenbeath win, Sally finds herself on the stands, waiting, game after game. Above the stage the scores flash up, one gubbing after the other.

Playwright Gary McNair’s adaptation of Ron Ferguson’s book, Black Diamonds and the Blue Brazil, directed by James Brining, charts the highs and lows which come from supporting a team languishing in the lower leagues. "Remember Sally, it’s not all about winning," quips her father. But at its heart, this play is all about the community beyond the pitch.

Dawn Steele as Sally is an epic storyteller, drawing laughs and heartfelt tears from the audience with equal ease as she shares tales of growing up with a dad who could turn every story or lesson learned into one about the Blue Brazil. Steele effortlessly draws the audience in as she paints a cast of characters from the town, filling the stage despite only being joined physically by Barrie Hunter as her dad. Hunter exudes warmth and performs Scottish dry humour and patter with ease. While forever present in the background, Ricky Ross sits at a piano, performing songs specially composed for the play. The presence of his songs and vocal talent add to the rhythm and emotion of the play like the cheer of fans resonating around a stadium. 

Black Diamonds... is an utterly compelling story about community and hope against all the odds, with a lot of heart woven into the blue-and-white scarf proudly worn around its neck. 

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Black Diamonds and the Blue Brazil, Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh, run ended.