Black Watch: Historical Context

The Regiment

Black Watch is the oldest Highland regiment in the UK, tracing its roots back to 1725.
Originally, the regiment was responsible for keeping law and order within the Highlands, hence the name ‘Black Watch’.
Over the centuries, the regiment has been involved in several major military conflicts, notably the World Wars.

‘Black Watch’ was written by Gregory Burke, building upon interviews with soldiers who served in Iraq.
The play debuted in 2006 during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, a significant cultural event in Scotland.
It addresses the political controversies of the Iraq War, the realities of military life, and the specific experiences of the Scottish regiment.

The Iraq War, lasting from 2003 to 2011, was a controversial military campaign led by the US and supported by the UK.
Part of the war’s controversy stemmed from the allegations about Iraq’s possession of Weapons of Mass Destruction, which were later dismissed.
‘Black Watch’ is specifically set in the early stages of the Iraq War, when the regiment was stationed at Camp Dogwood, Basra.
Prior to the events of the play, there had been an amalgamation of the Black Watch regiment with other regiments, leading to debates around the loss of identity and tradition.

In Scotland, which opposed the Iraq War at a higher rate than the rest of the UK, the play spotlighted the conflicting views between the country’s anti-war sentiments and the pride in its oldest regiment.
The play was a huge success and toured globally, reflecting its impact and the worldwide interest in the complications of the Iraq War and military life.
‘Black Watch’ sparked discourse around the dehumanising effects of war, the soldiers’ experiences, and the political manoeuvring involved in warfare.