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We Have a Dream follows four passionate Scottish mates as they travel to the European Championships to support their team, the kind of trip that doesn’t come around very often. Having first met at 17 in student halls, when they “didn’t have a pube between them,” the four are now approaching 30 and embarking on an adventure that feels like a chance to recapture their youth.
Whilst there’s plenty of drama on the pitch, it’s the chemistry and chaos between the four friends that really drives the story. After more than a decade of friendship, they know exactly how to annoy, embarrass and ultimately support each other, making We Have a Dream as much a story about growing up and friendship as it is about football.
Each of the four lads, Cammy, Jamesy, Stevie and Tam, has a distinct personality, and in just 55 minutes, they feel like people you’ve genuinely got to know. More importantly, their friendship feels completely authentic. Each of them brings their own energy to the group, and it’s easy to see why these four have stayed friends for so long. Disaster strikes almost as soon as they land, thanks to an incident involving the sacred tickets to the first match and, rather bizarrely, a bottle of washing-up liquid. It’s both farcical and somehow completely believable, exactly the kind of chaos you can imagine these four getting themselves into.
While the show is predominantly centred around the Scottish football team, it uses that setting to explore something much more personal. The dreams, nightmares and hopes each character has for the future. It captures the kind of support and ridicule that only comes with a strong friendship, making the relationships at the heart of the show feel genuine and relatable.
Dylan Frew, as Tam, is full of personality and character, making the most of every moment he’s on stage. His performance brings plenty of energy and humour to the piece, while also helping to establish Tam as a memorable and likeable character. Robbie Hall is equally impressive as Stevie, delivering a confident performance throughout. He is particularly strong as the tone of the piece begins to shift, showing a more serious and emotional side to his character as the story builds towards its climax.
Whilst truly an ensemble piece, each character is given their own moments to shine, allowing the cast to bring their individual personalities to the forefront. Cammy (Adam Edgar), Jamesy (Jordan Monks) and Andrea (Laura Dopell) all deliver convincing performances, each bringing something different to the group dynamic. Their performances help create a strong sense of chemistry between the characters.
The writing also rewards those paying close attention, with small details and seemingly passing comments from earlier in the piece unexpectedly coming back into play later on. What initially feels like throwaway dialogue can take on a much greater significance, creating moments that are both surprising and wonderfully surreal as the story unfolds.
Monks and Frew have also captured the sound and spirit of football friendship brilliantly. The banter feels instantly familiar, the kind of back-and-forth you can imagine hearing among lads in communities up and down the country. At its heart, the script understands what makes football friendships so unique: the humour, the insults, the loyalty and the unspoken bond underneath it all.
We Have a Dream may be about football, but its biggest win comes from the friendship at its heart. With an infectious football atmosphere and plenty of heart along the way, this is a show that proves the best memories are often made long before the final whistle.
★★★★
Gifted ticket in exchange for an honest review.