Sometimes all you need is a hug and that is what Bethany Tennick 's new play Outskirts feels like.

Mags a 45 year old Granny, workaholic and lonely decides one Friday rather than sitting in with a glass of wine and terrible TV, waiting to be phoned by work colleagues or her Daughter struggling to cope with being a mother in Australia.

She has finally pushed her self out her comfort zone by finding a local Glasgow Gay Bar with the hope she might satisfy long surpressed urges.

Outskirts is staffed by rather rude barmaid Dove who instantly decides what Mags is like.

Luckily after a cocktail the women start to talk,Then barman  Si enters a gender fluid person who brings affirming spells to the evening.

As each cocktail is taken, relationships, family, failed dreams and gender is discussed.

Friendship is a huge theme in this play as mags observes at 45 it's hard to make new pals, many of those we knew have moved on and became distant. New people are hard to find.

We leave feeling these three newly found friends will be close never mind the age difference.

Today Bethany took the role of Mags due to cast illness  and she fully embodied the part.

All the characters are so well written we feel we know them, Rosie Graham as Dove and Jake Stephen as Si are exceptionally good.

This lovely wee musical is funny, sad an d wholesome.

Go see!

In Sailmaker Alan Spence's semi-biographical play we meet Alec, Davie's son finding out his Mother has died. It now just the two of them in the crumbling old tenement flat with the glowing embers in the fire.

Davie has been made redundant from his job as a Sailmaker. The 60's downturn of the shipbuilding industry has impacted everyone's lives. He has became a tick man and now enjoys a wee hauf at the end of the day along with some visits to the local bookie which always end in disaster.

In contrast his brother Billy is a painter and decorator with his son Ian being Alec's great friend. Alec owns a toy boat battered with age but he loves it, his uncle Billy paints it for him in the Blue and White of Glasgow Rangers, unfortunately his dad never seems to find the time to repair and make a new Sail.

As the boys grow up and become teenagers Ian gets an apprenticeship with his Dad, and bookish Alec progresses with his studies with a view to get in to university.

The final scene has Davie and Alec living with no heating waiting for the tenement to be pulled down. In order to keep warm before his move to the newly formed estates they burn their old possessions. The old life is behind them and the new is opening up.

This beautiful play directed by Liz Carruthers captures a moment in time, but that time could be universal.

Andy Clark as Davie gives an impeccable performance of the man broken by the system. He once had dreams, he was well read with the works of Burns or Dickens not far from him. He is a good fair man dealt many bad blows.

Alexander Tait as Alec perfectly captures the boy growing up and becoming a man, he might not always agree with his dad but he loves him dearly.

Paul J Corrigan as Billy is great as the opposite of Davie he knows there is a need for Davie to get in to another trade and is happy to move to Aberdeen where the work is

Lewis Kerr plays Ian with great intuition he knows if he goes with his dad he can continue to work, yet he does miss his cousin when the move has happened.

Both Lewis and Alexander have to play the boys at various ages from young kids to university aged adults. They do this wonderfully without playing the boys by over - exaggerating the ages, the main change was shorts in to long trousers.

Liz Carruthers has brought this excellent play back to the stage flawlessly.

And while our situations may go up and drastically down, We haven't Died a Winter Yet

Co produced by The Gaiety and The Beacon Arts Centre

Miss Lockwood isn't Well by James Reilly, is a bitter/sweet comedy played out over an hour long therapist session. 

It starts with Miss Lockwood visiting her therapist ex GP turned to therapist Dr Freer. From their conversation we can work out Miss Lockwood is a school teacher who seems to be going through emotional stress. She refuses to believe this and feels she can return to work immediately. She hopes the school priest Fr Macklin will help, however when we find out why she is there, Saints mysteriously appearing in her class room to help her for the most banal reasons he is firmly of the mind she is a crackpot!

This cracking wee play looks at the traditional idea of religion being very stoic, maybe in the modern world a heads up if the fish is off or where your missing earing is would be more relevant to the younger generations.

Jane McGarry as Dr Freer provides the mediation between Karen Young's Miss Lockwood and biting comedy of Mark Cox's Fr Macklin. Mark gets pretty much all the funny lines and they are timed to perfection.

Will Miss Lockwood get her three holy secrets and what moviestar frock will the virgin Mary be Wearing?

To get the answers book a ticket for the play when it goes to the Trav!

Belle Jones's new musical about the Life of Flora Mcdonald is a lovely tribute the woman herself. We all know how Flora took Bonnie prince Charlie across the sea to skye him dressed as a maid. What we don't know is what happened after. Rising Rent on the land, failed crops and snow continuing for months on Skye. She is forced to emigrate with her husband to the North of America. Her husband sides with the crown in America and is defeated causing many deaths, unable to stand being away from her homeland Flora manages to set sail once again back home for the final time.

This production is about Flora in her own words so often her legacy has been twisted by male writers to fit a shortbread tin picture of her life.

The cast are an ensemble of the Best of Scottish theatre. Helmed by Annie Grace as the senior Flora with the stupendous Karen Fishwick as Flora Jnr.

Alan McHugh, Lana Pheutan, Sally Swanson David Rankine Stephen Clyde and Lawrence Boothman play all the other parts with Lawrence taking on the effeminate Prince with brilliant comical timing.

The music composed by AJ Robertson and John Kielty is delightful with slow airs, Gaelic lullaby's and toe tapping ceilidh music.

All the cast sing, dance, play instruments and speak and sing in the Gaelic. Directeted by powerhouse director Stasi Schaeffer.

A guid night out!

📸 Pavilion Theatre Promotional 

What a joy of a musical, based on the beloved film Amelie, the RCS bring this epic fanciful musical to the stage.

Amelie a young woman unsure of her own direction in life, left to venture in to the city of Paris by her father who became even more distant after her mother's death. She spends her time fixing her friends problematic love life's. Unable to confront the boy she is drawn to.

With some wonderful dream sequences, singing fish, gnomes and Elton John appearing to serenade her. The dance sequence in this is out of this world, who knew a full size working piano could be so graceful!

Every member of cast was excellent to watch along side stand out performances from Amelie, her Partner, the Cafe Owner and Green Grocer. 

Tom Cooper directs this huge scale production, all the performers are Actor Musicians singing dancing and playing many different instruments each. The choreography is skillfully mastered by Sarah Wilkie.

The mammoth design undertaking was done by student Emma Cox who captures the Parisian atmosphere in the cafe sets, and the movement of the landscapes with movable doors and set pieces.

Tom has created a production that will be remembered in the hallowed walls of the Antheneum for years to come.

📸 RCS

Joy is a fu**ing oxymoron, Joy the titular character of Morma Young's latest play for A Play, A Pie and A Pint is completely lacking of a GSOH therefore it's putting a strain on getting past a second date!

At the end of her tether she discovers the 5 step program to learning how to laugh at jokes, ably practiced at the group for depression her GP sends her to.

Naomi Stirrat directed by Alex Fthenakis plays it like a stand up gig with mic in hand, dancing over the excellent script full of Chickens crossing roads, knock, knocks and Dr, Dr gags.

This funny play has plenty of self aware put downs and problems to make it resonate with each viewer.

Sometimes, like the chicken we just need to get to the other side, safely.

Scots, a musical celebration of Scotland from its beginning the formation of Alba and it's first king up to 2026 and free period products, we have came a long way.

All seen through the eyes of the one thing we all need The Toilet.

Tyler Collins gives a resounding performance as our porcelain friend, tying all of Scotland's achievements together in a whirlpool flush of time.

We are a wee nation but we have made our mark on the world with inventions including the CIA, American Navy oh and the Toaster!

Not just the men! Women have played a huge role too from discovering the planet Mercury to becoming the first female scientist in the World.

Scotland is fierce and proud, we encourage others, we are best when we are kind.

With a stellar ensemble cast including Richard Conlon, Katie Barnet, Jenny Clifford, Yana Harris, Laurence Smith, Connor Going, Isaac Savage and the inimitable Star Penders this was always going to be the best of productions.

Jemima Levick's brisk and inventive direction brings this epic story together in a coherent way that is a pleasure to watch.

Continues at The Gaiety tomorrow then tours Glasgow, Inverness and Aberdeen.

The Swansong by Eve Nicole & Finn Anderson based on David Greig's radio play, is a gorgeous, ethereal musical starring Paul McArthur and Julia Murray with live saxophone and piano.

Lydia is at her lowest ebb, about to drown herself in the duck pond. When she meets Paul McArthur as a talking swan.

What follows is a Peter Pan like journey over the rooftops of Edinburgh Lydia flying on the back of the Swan. They go for drinks in the clubs of Auld Reekie before fleeing attackers. Taking a train to London Lydia goes to sleep hoping the Swan will be there in the morning.

The joy of this wonderful little musical is at no point do we not believe the Swan is real. Played with some humour and a lot of heart.

We get it, we know we all need someone to take us under their wing and guide us through whatever is happening in our lifes.

Go and see this if you possibly can. It's going to the Trav and The Gaiety .