From a ratings winning BBC favourite to world class dance theatre and a rare opportunity to see a modern classic, Glasgow’s stages boast eclectic entertainment in October...
Two Doors Down Live, The Hydro, 9-11 October
Running time 2 hours 30 minutes, including interval, tickets HERE
If you missed the original run of Two Doors Down Live last month, never fear, five more performances have been added at The Hydro due to popular demand. Neighbourly niggle is the name of the game as the residents of Latimer Crescent once again descend on Eric and Beth’s in a snapshot of the best and worst of life in the suburbs.
When Eric and Beth invite the gang over to hear a big announcement from Ian, speculation is rife as to what it’s about. A trip abroad? A change of career? Or could he and Gordon be finally ready to confirm arrangements for the wedding of the year? Meanwhile, Christine’s got a new obsession, Alan and Michelle have a big night out planned, and Colin and Cathy are, as usual, looking for a party.
But when Ian and Gordon arrive, their news takes everyone by surprise, though not as much as when Eric and Beth make an unexpected announcement of their own…
Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man, Glasgow Kings, 27-31 October
Running time 2 hours, including interval, tickets HERE
At the Kings Theatre, the iconic piece of dance-theatre that first introduced me to the work of Matthew Bourne some 26 years ago returns in a brand new touring production and Glasgow gets to see it first. Yes, Matthew Bourne’s The Car Man explodes onto the stage of The Kings with a tale loosely based on Bizet’s evergreen opera, Carmen.
With one of the most thrilling and instantly recognisable scores in the New Adventures’ repertoire, the familiar 19th Century Spanish cigarette factory of the original becomes a greasy 1950’s garage-diner in the American Midwest where the dreams and passions of a small-town are shattered by the arrival of a handsome and enigmatic stranger. Fuelled by heat and desire, the inhabitants are driven into an unstoppable spiral of greed, lust, betrayal and revenge.If you think dance is not for you, this is the production that will change your mind forever.
East Is East, The Citizens, 7-17 October
Running time 2 hours, 30 minutes, including interval, tickets HERE
The Citizens Theatre present another exciting co-production in October, this time with Bolton’s Octagon and Wiltshire Creative in association with Derby Theatre. East is East, by Ayub Khan Din, explores how families can ‘hold you together’ and ‘tear you apart’.
Salford, 1971 and the Khan family are living above a chip shop and on the fault line between two cultures. George Khan is determined the family is raised his Pakistani way. His English wife, Ella, just wants to keep the peace. Their seven children? They’re busy discovering disco, denim, and defiance. When George begins arranging marriages for his sons, rebellion erupts and loyalties are tested. What follows is a hilarious and deeply moving battle between tradition and change.
A rare opportunity to see Din’s modern classic north of the border, East Is East blends razor-sharp comedy with moments of shocking honesty in a story about identity, generational conflict, and the messy, unbreakable bonds of family.
Don’t miss my monthly Must See Theatre column in the GLASGOW REPORTER on the first of each month for more Glasgow hot tickets
