Spotlight on Glasgow

Plus Dogs on the Metro

Hello, and welcome to my Substack. Remember if you want to support my writing, you can do so by becoming a paid subscriber, buying me a one-off Ko-fi or buying one of my books. Or all of my books. You know, as a treat.

Every little bit really does help, honest!

[Image description: two leaflets for the Metro]

This week’s theatre

Last night was the press night for Dogs on the Metro, Emilie Robson’s winning entry into the North East Playwrighting Award. As one of the judges, I was fascinated to see how this looked when it hit the stage.

While not everything in it completely worked for me, overall, there was an awful lot to like about it. The writing was sharp, both Sarah Balfour and Dean Logan gave strong performances (I was particularly impressed by Logan, of whom I have long been a fan), and Maria Crocker’s direction was pacey and tight. (You can read The Guardian’s 4-star review here). It’s on till May 17.

I also liked the retro merch, reproductions of the leaflets produced when the Metro was first launched, though I could have done without the guy looking *quite* so shocked when I said I remembered that. Or maybe he thought I looked too young? He thought I looked too young, right?

Theatre to book now

This sounds like one of those shows that is either going to be great or terrible, if I’m honest: The Battle, just announced as coming to Newcastle Theatre Royal, tells the story of the Britpop era rivalry between Oasis and Blur. Promising to be ‘wickedly funny’, this lands next May.

Theatre Writing to Check Out

A fellow writer for both The Stage and the sadly departed Musicals magazine, Julia Rank now has a theatre related Substack. She’s an eloquent and knowledgeable writer, so definitely worth checking out:

Spotlight on Glasgow

I was on one of my semi-regular trips up North last week – hence lack of newsletter, sorry! Glasgow is one of my favourite cities, and going back is always a pleasure, especially as I got to stay in my friends’ gorgeous West End tenement.

[Image description: cobbled street at night, fairly lights strung up]

Eating out in Glasgow

I ate out a lot this week, trying a mix of new and familiar places, all of which I was pleased with.

I tried Madurai when it first opened and before it had its alcohol licence and was pleased to go back now it has had the chance to bed in. Situated in the heart of town at St Vincent Street, this relatively new Indian restaurant specialises in South Indian cuisine. A cool vibe, good food and super friendly staff make for a great night out (and they have their booze licence now!)

Finnieston is one of those areas that has utterly transformed since my student days, and is now a hub of cool bars, shops and eateries. I had a couple of decent cocktails in The Crescent, before eating some very generous portions of food at Mexican restaurant El Jefe’s. The buzzy vibe might not be for everyone – it’s the kind of place that gives out Sombreros – but the service was friendly and the food good. And there was a lot of it.

My other Finnieston jaunt was a very different experience: the much fancier Ox and Finch. A small plates venue that also does decent cocktails, the menu was nuttier than I had hoped (but, to be fair, the staff were great at pointing out which dishes could be nut free) but the food was tasty and the service was good. My tip would be check out the separate vegetarian / vegan menus as not all options are listed on the main menu.

Ashton Lane is one of the bits of the West End that has both transformed and stayed weirdly the same: some of the pubs date from before my time, while the rolling tide of change and gentrification has swept away some old student stalwarts.

I always enjoy a trip to the tiny noodle bar Ramen Dayo (which also has a venue in Finnieston), but also made time to visit that Glasgow institution, The Ubiquitous Chip (as well as its little spin off bar, which is just around the corner). I still haven’t actually managed to eat in the Chip, but it’s always nice to have a drink there. I also had a little trip down memory lane (which is just around the corner from Ashton Lane, lol, sorry) with a visit to The Curlers Rest, a nice pub on Byres Road which used to be much sketchier back in the days when it was still just Curlers (or at least in my recollection, though I’m not entirely sure you should trust that…)

If you are catching a train, it’s worth knowing about Off the Rails, a cute little coffee shop with a good range of cakes that is just across the road from Queen Street station, so a great place to kill some time.

Another place worth knowing about is the teeny little coffee shop Perch and Rest, on Otago Street, which is worth seeking out if Great Western Road gets too busy (there are about a zillion coffee shops on GWR, but man, they do get stowed out). There’s also a super cute shop upstairs, selling an eclectic range of homeware, toiletries and stationery. I used to live on Otago Street, so I was pleased to see vintage store Retro still going strong, too.

I also enjoyed a drink at The Belle, which is only a minute or so from Kelvinbridge Station - which I also used to live around the corner from! - a nice pub that combines a trad pub feel with a contemporary vibe.

Arts and culture

Unfortunately, it’s just finished, but the Hunterian Gallery had a good multimedia Derek Jarman exhibition on when I was there, Derek Jarman’s Modern Nature. Located in / near Glasgow University, both the Gallery and Museum are worth a visit if you are in that part of town. I’m also interested to see that both – alongside the Kelvingrove Museum and Gallery, which I adore – seem to be taking concrete steps to acknowledge and address their colonial legacies. This is reflected both in including new work that is a reaction to their older collection – usually work by artists of colour – or reframing their labelling of exhibits to acknowledge the history behind them.

[Image description: standee for Derek Jarman’s Modern Nature]

What I have been watching

The Grosvenor Cinema was one of my regular haunts back in my student days. Now relocated – basically to the building next door – The Grosvenor Picture Theatre is still a gorgeous little cinema. I have got out of the habit of going to the movies, but, vampire lover that I am, it didn’t take much persuading to get me along to see the new Ryan Coogler film, Sinners.

My friends were less taken with this than I was, and I admit I can see why – there’s quite a slow burn till we get to the main action. But I loved the way it combined vampire mythology with a critique of race and racism, bolstered by gorgeous styling, imaginative touches and an excellent cast (including Michael B Jordan, Wunmi Mosaku – who was so good in Lovecraft Country, which also used supernatural themes to tackle America’s legacy on race – Hailee Steinfeld and Delroy Lindo).

Another benefit of staying at my friends’ house was they have streaming services I don’t, so I used the opportunity to watch a bunch of shows I don’t have at home.

Batman spinoff, The Penguin, was a dark, brutal take on the character, headlined by an excellent and almost unrecognisable Colin Farrell (insert your own opinion on the ethics of fat suits here), with a scene stealing turn from Cristin Milioti and support from a bunch of great character actors including Mark Strong and Clancy Brown.

I have had the Apple show Slow Horses recommended to me by a ton of people, so was relieved that when I finally got to watch it, it was indeed very good. I’m a big fan of the Mick Herron books that provide the source material, and this taut thriller series make great use of its London setting and a stellar cast (including Gary Oldman, Kristin Scott Thomas, Saskia Reeves and a glacial Sophie Okenado, who also wins best hair for her razor-sharp bob).

What I have been reading

Not content to use my friends’ screening services, I have also been raiding their bookshelves. Blessin Adams’ Thou Savage Woman is a fascinating look at female ‘killers’ in early modern Britain and how they were treated both by the law and the popular press (or pamphlets of the time), from stone cold serial murderers to abused women driven to desperation, to innocent women who quite literally got caught up in a witch hunt.

[Image description: Thou Savage Woman by Blessin Adams]

Anyway, thanks again for reading – please do share with your friends! Every new subscriber really does give me a boost. And remember if you want to support my writing but a paid subscription isn’t for you (times are hard, I get it!), you can buy me a one-off Ko-fi or buy one of my books.

Remember: everything included is my personal preference / opinion, and while I strive to be accurate, I always advising checking with the relevant venue.