Play about one of the most historic figures in Welsh football to be staged

A play about one of the most historic figures in Welsh football is looking for an actor to play the leading role of a legendary cup-winning captain.

A one-man play about Cardiff City’s 1927 FA Cup-winning captain Fred Keenor is currently appealing for an actor with a Cardiff accent to play the titular role.

Ads for the production have started appearing on social media, with auditions set to take place next month.

The ad from Rhys Deans Productions announcing the audition call for the play which is titled ‘Keenor: The Original Bluebird’ reads:

‘We are excited to announce auditions for “Keenor: The Original Bluebird,” a one man play, to be staged at Porter’s Theatre in Cardiff in April 2027. This production explores the life and legacy of Fred Keenor, Cardiff City’s legendary captain, in a compelling solo performance.

‘We are looking for a male actor, late 20’s and early 30’s and can do or has a thick Cardiff accent.’

The audition will be held on July 1 at Porter’s Theatre in Cardiff, between midday and 5pm.

Those interested should email: [email protected]

Next year will mark the centenary of Cardiff City’s famous 1927 FA Cup win, the only time the cup has left England.

Bluebirds’ captain Keenor lifted the trophy after Cardiff beat Arsenal 1-0 in front of almost 100,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium.

In the fifth round, Cardiff knocked out the reigning champions, Bolton Wanderers. By the quarter-final stage, Arsenal and Cardiff were the only teams from the First Division remaining.

On the day of the final, additional trains were provided to transport Cardiff’s fans to Wembley, and police reinforcements were deployed to keep at bay fans who had been sold fake tickets.

A concert held before the game included a rendition of “Abide with Me”. Singing this song before the match has since become a cup final tradition. For the first time, the final was broadcast on the radio by the newly-formed British Broadcasting Corporation with commentary by George Allison and Derek “Uncle Mac” McCulloch.

There were more than 300,000 applications for tickets, and 91,206 were in attendance. A further 15,000 fans listened in Cardiff’s Cathays Park to the radio broadcast.

The only goal of the game was credited to Cardiff’s Hughie Ferguson after his shot slipped out of the hands of Arsenal goalkeeper Dan Lewis, who knocked the ball into the net with his elbow.

Lewis later blamed his new woollen jersey, saying that it was greasy. This inspired the Arsenal tradition of washing goalkeeper jerseys before every match.

The press called the game the “Singing Final” and highlighted that the FA Cup had gone to Wales for the first time.