Edinburgh Fringe 2026 - Spotlight On: The Pitch

This 'Edinburgh Fringe - Spotlight On' series takes a look at the shows I will be reviewing at this year's festival and a 5-question Q&A with the creative teams. 

📸 Provided by Press Team

Synopsis: “Robbie is a sports-mad Belfast boy. When his favourite pitch is refurbished into a Gaelic football ground, he sees it as an invasion of his culture. 

But for GAA player Deren, it’s a chance to play the sport he loves, in the home where it was never accepted. 

As Robbie’s sister, Melissa, starts playing Gaelic football in school, and a United Ireland referendum looms, can all three of them find common ground? 

A fast-paced, energetic and laugh-out-loud Belfast story, which celebrates the country’s favourite sport and asks the growing question: will Ireland ever be re-unified?”

Q&A with Philip Catherwood (Writer)

Q: What inspired you to create this show?

A: It’s inspired by a news story I read about a GAA club trying to refurbish a soccer pitch into a Gaelic football ground in East Belfast, where I grew up! If you know your Belfast geography, you’ll know this turned out to be a contentious issue, but to me it was the perfect example of how Northern Ireland was changing, and how it could be on the verge of a United Ireland.

Q: What can audiences expect when they come to see the show at Edinburgh Fringe?

A: It’s like being at a real Gaelic football match! High intensity. Footballs flying everywhere. A fun energy, and something which celebrates Irish culture and its people!

Q: Is there a particular theme, message, or idea behind the show that you hope audiences take away with them?

A: I hope people gain an understanding on what kind of conversations young people are having right now in Belfast. 30 years after The Troubles, issues over national identity and sectarianism still remain, and I feel like no one outside of Northern Ireland is talking about it. I hope we gain some new GAA fans, and people start talking about the possibility of a United Ireland and what that would mean for the people who live there, but also in neighbouring countries!

Q: If you could describe your show in three words, what would they be?

A:Fast. Sporty. Irish.

Q:Why should audiences add your show to their Fringe schedule this year?

A: If you want to see those short, short GAA shorts Paul Mescal wears, up close, this is the show for you!

The Pitch is running at Baby Grand at Pleasance Courtyard from 5th to 31st August at 14:00.