A university in Edinburgh has formed a unique collaboration with an award-winning theatre company to co-produce two ambitious plays for Heart of Midlothian Football Club’s 150th anniversary celebrations this year.
The hugely popular and critically acclaimed shows, A War of Two Halves, and Sweet FA, will be revived in collaboration with BA (Hons) Acting & Performance and BA (Hons) Costume Design and Construction students at Queen Margaret University (QMU).
Taking place across November 2024, the shows will be performed at the renowned home of Heart of Midlothian FC, Tynecastle Park.
Sir Paul Grice, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of QMU, said: “It’s incredibly exciting that our students will get the opportunity to perform at such an iconic Edinburgh venue and help Hearts mark their special 150th anniversary – an experience that I’m sure will stay with them for years to come.
“As we celebrate 150 years of Queen Margaret University in 2025, we take pride in the many meaningful collaborations we’ve fostered over the years, each of which reflects our deep commitment to supporting our stakeholders and enriching the communities we serve. This new partnership, merging the vibrant worlds of theatre and sport, perfectly embodies QMU’s core values of creativity, innovation, and community engagement.”
Heart of Midlothian FC has welcomed productions at Tynecastle Park since 2018 and recognises their vital contribution to the heritage and cultural understanding of the club and its history.
Throughout this year of Hearts’ 150-year celebrations, the club has found a number of innovative ways to commemorate this important milestone.
Ann Park, Director of Communities and Partnerships at Hearts, said: “Both of these productions highlight important episodes from the club’s proud history, and we are thrilled that both plays make these accessible and captivating for football and non-football audiences alike.”
A War of Two Halves is a powerful story about the Heart of Midlothian players who, in 1915, showed tremendous courage and team spirit and volunteered en masse for McCrae’s Battalion. This promenade performance leads the audience on a moving journey through various locations around Tynecastle Park, including the home dressing room.
Sweet FA is a companion piece to A War of Two Halves. It is a play with music that tells the inspiring tale of an Edinburgh women’s factory team in 1915, united by their passion for football and their unwavering support and love for one another against the backdrop of the ban on Women’s Football. It will be performed in a purpose-built stage within the main concourse at Tynecastle Park.
The cast of Sweet FA will also be performing at half time of the Women’s Premier League Capital Cup game on 17th November.
Ann, continued: “A War of Two Halves performed to sell out audiences in 2018, 2019 and 2022. BBC Radio 4’s Front Row listed Sweet FA as one of the three must-see shows across 2021’s Fringe and International Festival.
“It is fitting that it is being revived on the 50th anniversary of the lifting of the ban on Women’s Football in 1974. Brilliant dialogue and powerful songs deliver a timely, no holds barred, take on Scottish culture during the Great War.”
Bruce Strachan, co-founder of Two Halves Productions and Lecturer in Acting and Performance at QMU, said: “This new collaboration between us, Hearts Heritage and Queen Margaret University, looks to build on the award-winning success of these two ambitious plays, rooted in the history of Edinburgh.
“It is a wonderful opportunity for two young casts, on the cusp of their launch into the professional world, to explore the importance of these stories and their impact on local history and contemporary Scottish theatre. Given current global events, both pieces serve as a timely reminder of the horrors and futility of world conflict.”
A War of Two Halves and Sweet FA will take place at Tynecastle Park from the 9th to the 21st November 2024 with varying performance times. To purchase your ticket, visit Heartsfc.co.uk.
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