We Have a Dream
★★★★☆ Becoming Men
theSpace @ Symposium Hall (Venue 43): Fri 7 – Sat 15 Aug 2026
Review by Ed Boulter-Comer.
It’s never really about football, is it? As much as We Have a Dream at theSpace @ Symposium Hall explodes with the energy, crumpled flags and lager of a doomed Euros campaign, this is a piece about being a man. Or perhaps more accurately, about becoming a man.
Written by Dylan Frew and Jordan Monks, Fast Snail’s play follows a mixed bag of four childhood friends from Scotland on holiday to Germany as they try (and often fail) to see their heroes play live. But the baggage they bring with them is not restricted to the dishevelled kilts and replica playing tops. Each of the friends has something they need to get off their chest.
Robbie Hail Pic: Jorgie Buchan.
Jorgie Buchan’s direction is energetic, delivering the intensity and passion of the game in the set pieces around the matches. Cleverly, he gets out of the way for the more reflective scenes and allows the naturalism of the language and the situations to play out subtly. This is accomplished stuff.
Robbie Hail’s Stevie catapults onto the stage, with a wiry, frantic physicality. It could be a threatening performance but for the fact that the character is marked by a pure decency, rarely found in real life. Hail keeps Stevie credible and avoids any move towards the saccharine, ultimately providing the heart of the show.
Writer Jordan Monks initially gives himself less to do and his Jamesy acts as a foil for the others. Though he makes us wait for it, his secret, when it comes out, is a convincing and sensitive take on male anxiety. Ultimately it is well acted because it is well written.
intensely young
Credited with the story as well as co-writing, Dylan Frew’s Tam gives us the clown of the group. There is something intensely young about his performance, with a gentle clumsy physicality that gives him the aura of a giant toddler. It is a clever way for Frew to engender a sympathetic response from his audience, despite Tam’s frequent poor decision making.
Andrea appears as a point somewhere between a love interest, plot device and benevolent deity – perhaps like football itself. Laura Doppel brings a wisdom to her Andrea, whilst making her believable and kind. Her slightly clipped use of voice underlines the healthy boundaries the character has, that the boys are yet to develop.
Adam Edgar’s Cammy follows the most involved path. Perhaps more convincing as the good friend he becomes than the pressured lawyer we first meet, Edgar has a warmth to his acting that is unmistakable.
We Have a Dream is hugely energetic. It is very Scottish, well-intentioned and well-crafted. In the multi-cultural whirl of the Fringe, it is a must for anyone who wants to get a taste of what the home team are making.
Running time: 55 minutes (no interval).
theSpace @ Symposium Hall (Annexe), Hill Square, EH8 9DR (Venue 43).
Friday 7 – Saturday 15 August 2026.
Daily: 7.20pm.
Tickets and details: Book here at EdFringe.com.
Tickets direct from venue: Book here.
Fast Snail Instagram: @_fastsnailproductions
Linktree: @fastsnailproductions.
Robbie Hail, Adam Edgar, Dylan Frew Pic Jorgie Buchan
ENDS
