The Long Drop Playtext

Glasgow, 1957. A family destroyed. A man who insists he knows why. 

Between whisky-soaked confessions and half-truths swirling in cigarette smoke, William Watt and Peter Manuel share a night that will change everything. Winding through stale-aired bars, shadowed backstreets and tangled lies – leading to one of the most infamous trials in Scottish history. 

From one of Scotland's most acclaimed crime writers, Denise Mina, and adapted by award-winning playwright Linda McLean, The Long Drop is an electrifying new play – equal parts psychological thriller and pitch-black comedy. Gritty and gripping, it plunges us into a world of gangsters, gossip, and half-truths told over one too many drinks. 

It is premiered at the Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, in 2026.