Edinburgh Fringe Theatre Preview: Dribble by Cênica Theatre Company By Donald C Stewart

Date: 7th August 2026

Edinburgh Fringe Theatre Preview: Dribble by Cênica Theatre Company

By Donald C Stewart

In 1894 a young man returned home to Brazil. His father, a Scot, his mother Brazilian, he brought two uninflated footballs and the rules. The story of what happened next is not one that is well known in Brazil but will be told by Brazilian Theatre Company, Cênica in an upside-down purple cow (Underbelly) at the Fringe!

It shall celebrate the contribution made by that young man, Charles Miller, and the connections between our two countries and cultures in a show set – in a bar! Through music, humour, storytelling, physical theatre our joint love of a party, Cênica take their audiences through the five World Cup matches played between us, celebrating Brazil and Scotland’s historical relationship: the spirit of Brazil and tartan! SFSA’s resident writer Donald C Stewart met up with Director, Fagner Rodrigues to find out more and how Scotland started Brazil’s obsession with the beautiful game.

Fagner Rodrigues began by outlining their approach: “Cênica creates its work from observation and memory of where it is. I’m fascinated by that idea of the interconnection between real life and sport particularly football” Roughly translated it means that they build a show round where they are what they feel. And so last, year when they were in Edinburgh they, “were having a beer with the Brazilian cultural attaché from the consulate in Edinburgh. They started to talk about Charles Miller, but we didn’t know about Charles Miller. We don’t know this story in Brazil. I was a soccer player years ago but even I didn’t know anything.”

And so began the research, they knew that: “Miller was the name of a square in Sao Paulo. (Praça Charles Miller is directly in front of the Pacaembu Stadium – Estádio Paulo Machado de Carvalho in Sao Paulo). I was curious to know more about him so researched. As I did a light came on, and this story was the starting point of the project. We found that Miller brought the ball, rules and taught us the difference between Scottish and English football.” And so, he did.

The story they uncovered took them to the origins of the game in Brazil, beginning with the game’s arrival thanks to Miller: “soccer arrived in an elite place, where only the rich could play as Miller was of the rich class.” Having been born in Sao Paulo, then sent to be educated in Britain, Miller: “worked with workers on the railway and spent time with them in their clubs.” This contact with workers made sure that: “the game began to become increasingly popular,” because he was, “playing with the labour class.” The game grew as people were found playing football, “in the backyard, in a garden, on the street, on squares – it could mix everybody in the game. Different social classes could meet each other on the same level.”

The influence of the Scots grew beyond the ball and the rules but to the very ethos of the game, as Rodrigues went on, “in addition to the rules Miller brought, came a Scottish way that influenced Brazilian football. English football was all about the big shoots [the long ball], but, the Scottish style of play was the touch, the dribble, the passing. Brazilians got much better with the Scottish style of play than with the English. Brazilian people really connected with this idea of football.” The English disputedly might have invented it, but it was the Scots who defined it. Whilst English teams were still trying to run up the pitch with the ball at their feet, Scots had revolutionised it through Queen’s Park and the strange phenomenon of passing and dribbling…

Rodrigues then complained that this free-flowing football is, “a habit we’ve been losing.” As both Brazil and Scotland were eliminated from the 2026 World Cup earlier than both hoped, Rodrigues became as animated as a Tartan Army foot soldier with a cone to place on a statue, when he lamented: “Charles Miller brought it to the working class, but now, Brazilians want to play like Europeans. We are losing our identity and the show talks about that too.” Perhaps due to the coach who brought them into the World Cup, they feel that, whilst “Brazil has a very particular style, traditionally, in this World Cup, they are trying to make Brazilian football like academic football, European football, Real Madrid football.”

Rodrigues was forensic in his analysis as the former footballer, claimed that, “today, football is becoming an academic sport, (with) no taste for the Brazilian, like dribbling. Where is the dribbling? To take something traditional, special, unique, to turn it into a template then you’ve lost the personality.”

Cêneca found from their research was more than just Miller. They found “more Scots and we talk about this dynasty in the show.” As for Miller he had “a very close relationship to São Paulo, especially São Paulo’s teams. In Rio de Janeiro, there it was in the fabric factories,” though the Scots found fertile territory because, according to Rodrigues deep similarities between the Brazilian spirit and us Scots. “One of the greatest things about the individuality of both Scotland and Brazil is that we don’t conform. We don’t pay attention. We ignore everybody else who thinks we are wrong. We’re innovative, creative, different and escape conformity.”

Of course, as Rodrigues pointed out and the World Cup proved, we both like to party: “Our research found the joy of a people, of a culture which is not only about our costumes or habits, but a sense of happiness. Those cultures are important, (because they) make the party of The World Cup; No Scotland, no party: No Brazil, no party.” The yellow of Brazil and the tartan of Scotland made the damn thing come alive.

Of course, as a reviewer I wanted to know what the audience expect when they come to the show. It all sounds intriguing as Rodrigues started with the ensemble beginning, “outside the venue, performers come in with the audience. It’s a promenade production. Inside is a bar table where the performers sing, play, watch football, everything connected to their lives and memories. It is a party environment, an act of celebration, crossed by real stories of the artists. Then they finish the show outside again. Dribble is a journey through Brazil with football it is a promenade through our culture.”

Real life did make itself tragically felt during rehearsals as Rodrigues explained that “on the day we watched Scotland and Brazil in 2026, the father of one of the actors died. These real stories cross.”

All life and all sport but Rodrigues was keen to emphasise that Dribble is “an act of celebration cut through by real-life stories. It is an invitation to connect, to talk about memory with football as a background. It is a moment that we are living, and although it is a show that talks about football, it is for everyone, for those who like football and for those who also hate football, it is for anyone – an invitation to connect, talk about memory with football as a background.”

And so, at Underbelly, Dribble shall be performed from the 5^th all the way to the 31^st of August at 11:15am. Go see how much we have given to the world of fitba, and how much they appreciate our gestures.

To catch Dribble at Underbelly, George Square (head to the upside-down purple cow!) it is running from the 5^th to the 31^st August – no performances 17^th or 24^th. Specific details for Dribble can be found here: –

https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on?search=true&text=Dribble

VISUALS ARE HERE

Dribble Images