Showing @ various venues across Glasgow, see below for full listings
February: The nights are dark, the mercury hangs around the bottom of the thermometer and the highlight of the month is the chance to celebrate the death of a Roman martyr with cards, flowers, champagne and enormous teddy bears with ‘I Wuv You’ stitched onto them by 5 year-old South Asian kids. However, there are places you can go to get away from all this unbridled romance and schmaltz – Glasgow’s theatres where you can always find drama, tragedy, misery and of course joy in abundance.
The Tron starts the month with a whimsical, musical tale fairy tale The Boy And The Bunnet from author James Robertson, composer James Ross and Gaelic poet Aonghas MacNeacail. This ultra-Scottish piece is followed later in the month by Ankur Productions’ Mwana, a tale of cross-cultural confusion, race and secrets set in Scotland and Zimbabwe. And later in the month, Scotland’s premier touring company Random Accomplice return to the theatre with two plays under the title Double Nugget.
There’s also some winter darkness from Big Telly Theatre Company’s Melmoth The Wanderer featuring animation, projection and scariest of all… squeaky toys. If you’re after something lighter then Peapod Productions offer Passing Through from Alasdair Rutherford which has the added bonus of taking place in the theatre’s Victorian Bar.
The Arches plays host to Agent 160, a new company attempting to redress the imbalance in female playwrights starting with two nights offering a sample of work from some of the best new female talent around.
As ever, the Citz brings an eclectic mix of theatrical style and content with Sian Phillips appearing in Frantic Assembly’s production of Abi (Iron Lady) Morgan’s time clash play Love Song. This follows on from a return of Divided City, the musical that tackles Glasgow’s sectarian troubles as well as providing dozens of roles for the city’s school kids. The theatre also give theatregoers the chance to see what all the fuss was about over in Edinburgh when The Infamous Brothers Davenport arrives in the Gorbals.
February at the Tramway brings part two of Akira’s offering, Akira 12, a piece mixing discussion, film, performance and anything else they can think of to examine our fears and fascination with the dark.
The Cottiers offers up a more traditional, theatrical fare with the school set comedy Once A Catholic providing some satirical farce and Strathclyde Theatre Group’s take on Tennessee William’s tragic ‘memory play’ The Glass Menagerie providing the angst.
Estrado Arts take on a subject we’re likely to hear more and more of in these harsh economic times with Regret at Òran Mór, a series of stories of those who have been forced onto the streets. Òran Mór also offers the chance to see Scottish literary lion Alasdair Gray and friends take part in a reading of Fleck – his version of the Faust legend.
The Theatre Royal has a full programme and a diverse one this month. Expect magic, gingerbread and wonderful music as the month begins with Scottish Opera giving us Engelbert Humperdinck’s (no not that one) Hansel and Gretel. The theatre moves from opera to dance as the annual celebration of community company’s works Go Dance takes over the stage. There’s a powerful revival of J.B. Priestley’s spooky and socially powerful play An Inspector Calls coming to the theatre straight from its West End run directed by Billy Elliot supremo Stephen Daldry.
The National Theatre of Scotland gives cult horror the comic touch with their homage to Robin Hardy’s classic 1973 tale of insular Satanism in An Appointment With The Wicker Man starring and written by Chewin’ The Fat’s Greg Hemphill.
Over at the King’s it’s a month of nostalgic musicals, dance and existential comedy-drama as revivals of Grease and Thoroughly Modern Millie bring the pzazz whilst Matthew Bourne’s vigorously entertaining Nutcracker brings the joy. It’s left to US TV A-lister Zach Braff – star of Scrubs, to bring some entertaining self-absorption in his self-penned play All New People.
Finally Eastwood Park continues to be one of the best community theatres around providing plenty for the kids with Head In The Clouds from Ipdip Theatre, Robin and The Big Freeze from Theatre Unpacked and stories aplenty in Starcatchers’ The Attic.
The grown ups aren’t left out either as Goldfish Theatre have a production of Des Dillon’s popular Singin’ I’m No A Billy He’s A Tim and MsFits take a delve into themes of family and friendships with Mad, Bad & Dangerous To Know.
Those looking for Dance and music are well served this month at Eastwood with classical fans getting Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake from Ballet West and those who like their movement wrapped in leg-warmers have Glasgow Music Theatre bringing the inspiring, performing kids of Fame.
So there you go; diversity, intensity, entertainment wisdom, and if you really must have it, romance all available in Glasgow’s theatre. Much more fulfilling than chocolates and champagne and less likely to make you feel queasy the next morning.
FULL LISTINGS:
The Boy And The Bunnet: Fri 3rd Feb @ 19:00 / Sat 4th Feb @ 14:00
Mwana: Fri 10th to Sat 18th Feb @ 19:45
Double Nugget: Tues 14th – Sat 18th Feb @ 20:00 & Sat 18th @ 14:30
Melmoth The Wanderer: Tues 22nd – Sat 25th Feb @ 19:45
Passing Through: Tues 22n – Sat 25th Feb @ 20:30
Agent 160: Wed 22nd – Thu 23rd Feb @ 19:30
Divided City: Thu 2nd to Sat 4th Feb @ 19:30
Love Song: Tues 7th – Sat 11th Feb @ 19:30
The Infamous Davenport Brothers: Tues 14th – Sat 18th Feb @ 19:30
Akira 12: Fri 24th – Sun 26th Feb @ TBC
Once A Catholic: Wed 1st – Sat 4th Feb @ 19:30
The Glass Menagerie: Tues 7th – Sat 11th Feb @ 19:30 & 11th Feb @ 14:30
Regret: Sat 11th – Sun 12th Feb @ 19:00 & Sun 12th @ 14:00
Alisdair Gray – Fleck: Sun 26th Feb @ 19:00
Hansel & Gretel: Sat 4th, Wed 8th, Fri 10th Feb @ 19:15 & Sun 12th @ 16:00
Go Dance: Tues 14th – Sat 18th Feb @ 19:30
An Inspector Calls: Tues 21st – Sat 25th Feb @ 19:30 & Wed 22nd, Thu 23rd + Sat 25th @ 14:30
An Appointment With The Wicker Man: Tues 28th Feb – Sat 3rd March @ 19:30 & Thu 1st + Sat 3rd @ 14:30
Grease: Fri 27th & Sat 28th Feb @ 20:30 & Fri 27th @ 17:30 + Sat 28th @ 17:00
Thoroughly Modern Millie: Tues 7th – Sat 11th Feb @ 19:30 & Sat 11th @ 14:30
All New People: Tues 14th – Sat 18th Feb @ 19:30 & Wed 15th + Sat 18th @ 14: 30
Matthew Bourne’s Nutcracker: Tues 21st – Sat 25th Feb @ 19:30 & Wed 22nd + Sat 25th @ 14:30
Head In The Clouds: Thu 2nd Feb @ 10:30 & 13:30
Robin & The Big Freeze: Wed 15th Feb @ 10:30 & 13:30
The Attic: Thu 23rd @ 12:30 & 14:00
Singin I’m No A Billy He’s A Tim: Thu 16th Feb @ 19:30
Mad Bad & Dangerous To Know: Sat 4th Feb @ 19:30
Swan Lake: Sat 18th Feb @ 19:30
Fame: Tues 7th – Sat 11th Feb @ 19:30 & Sat 11th @ 14:30