It’s a Saturday night in Easter Road, and various Hibs supporters are filing into the Hibernian Supporters Club. While football plays are becoming more common at the Fringe in recent years, it’s fair to say that 1902 remains a standout. I first saw it several years ago at the Wee Red Bar in Edinburgh Art College, and since then it’s only grown in stature. The action is set in Bonnyrigg, Midlothian, where a group of Hibs fans meet for a local drink, it soon becomes clear one of them is in trouble as he has borrowed a significant amount of money from a local psychopath and Rangers fan so he can buy a 2016 Scottish Cup final ticket. For those that don’t know, the club hadn’t won the competition since 1902, and it had become an albatross for an entire community for 114 years. It was a global football event when the Edinburgh team won, defeating Rangers and a genuine catharsis is captured here.


There are moments when it’s difficult to separate the cast from the audience as fans join in during a spectacular sing-along of Sunshine On Leith. The key to this play is the excellent characters and their development during the story; each one of them goes on some kind of redemptive journey where hope is eventually fulfilled. Written by Nathan Scott-Dunn and directed by Sands Stirling, the pair also take on the roles Deeks and Tony, the latter brings some comic dynamite but also genuine pathos. Tony’s narrative provides an emotional release for the audience when it’s needed most. What Saltire Sky Theatre does very well is get punters along to the Fringe who might feel intimidated by the thought of going to the theatre or even the festival. For Hibs fans in particular, the Pat Stanton suite is a place they can go, buy a drink, and feel part of something that is often remote and uninviting. The audience adds to the experience, laughing, crying, and singing at key moments throughout. When the cast and audience mix after the show, it’s like the play is continuing for a third act. While I had to leave for another show, I’m convinced it went on until the wee small hours.

Reviewer Richard Purden
Five Stars

For more information about 1902 please check out the links below.

Photo credit Richard Purden.

https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/1902

https://saltireskytheatre.com/shows/1902-2/

https://www.instagram.com/p/DNVkyPIIObd/