New drama about World’s first International Black Footballer who captained Scotland to glory to premiere in Glasgow

The remarkable untold story of the world’s first international Black footballer who captained Scotland to glory will be told in The Corinthian by Joe McCann, premiering this June as part of A Play, A Pie and A Pint’s Spring season, shortly before the World Cup kicks off.

Born into Caribbean privilege, Andrew Watson arrives in Scotland to discover that he’s not welcome. Refusing to be silenced, he breaks barriers by becoming the world’s first international Black footballer, captaining the Scottish national football team to a record 6-1 victory against England in 1881.

Being of mixed race heritage, the son of a wealthy Scottish sugar planter who married a Caribbean woman, Watson’s life was unique in that he was both an underdog and came from obscene wealth, never fully belonging in Scotland despite his historic sporting accomplishments.

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland student Dayton Mungai will star as Andrew Watson in his debut for A Play, A Pie and A Pint. It will be directed by Martin McCormick, writer and director of Òran Mór’s popular Christmas pantomimes, with set and costume design by Heather Grace Currie.

Writer Joe McCann said: “As a Black man growing up in Glasgow, I wish I knew about Andrew Watson. He was capped three times for Scotland and then vanished from the record books. He was forgotten from history despite being the world’s first international Black footballer, and the next Black Scottish footballer after him was Nigel Quashie – 125 years later. My small ambition for this play is the audience to leave knowing and remembering Andrew Watson’s name. My bigger ambition is that they leave thinking about what it means to belong everywhere and nowhere at once.”

Brian Logan, Artistic Director at A Play, A Pie and A Pint, said: We’re thrilled to be staging the premiere of Joe McCann’s fantastic new play in the run-up to something equally fantastic – Scotland’s first appearance in the World Cup since I went to St Etienne to see us thumped by Morocco in 1998. So much of Scotland’s globe-straddling contribution to the beautiful game can be traced to this story Joe has uncovered, a hidden and extraordinary history about belonging, prejudice and national identity. One can only hope that Scotland do half as well in the World Cup as Joe’s done bringing this remarkable tale to the page – and now the stage.”

Òran Mór, Glasgow: 1-6 June 2026
Assembly Roxy, Edinburgh: 10-14 June 2026

Tickets and more information can be found here.