Black Watch: 20th anniversary screening of acclaimed play on Fife regiment
It was a play from the very heart of Fife which became a multi-award winning, global hit - one which shocked, moved and stunned audiences.
Now, the 20th anniversary of Black Watch will be marked with a special filmed performance on BBC Scotland. Written by Fifer, Gregory Burke, Black Watch swept the boards at awards ceremonies with four Oliviers as well as a Scotsman Fringe First at the top of a lengthy list of accolades.
It was based on his interviews with former soldiers who served in Iraq, and brought home the horrors of war, and what it meant to wear the famous red hackle and be part of Fife’s regiment.
It remains one of the most visceral plays to hit the stage, taking audiences from the pubs of Fife, where squaddies played pool, to the frontline of the war on terror, and telling the stories of their return home.
Black Watch made its debut at the 2006 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and went on to tour across the globe for the next seven years.
It created never to be forgotten memories at Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, where the stage was removed, and the actors performed surrounded on three sides by the audience. Once seated, you could not leave.
Its powerful finale saw full houses deliver standing ovations and then sit back down in silence as they absorbed what they’d just seen.
Black Watch: A Soldier's Story', the documentary which explores the journey of the landmark production, will also be aired on August 1 along with the play.
The performance is available to watch on BBC iPlayer now as part of a dedicated season celebrating post-–war British and Irish theatre.
Watch here: