Subjects A-Z: Theatre Studies

Live Performance in and Around Glasgow

Below is a list of venues and organisations that show live performance in and around Glasgow. There are other places and ways to see theatre and performance and it is always useful to browse social media as well as cultural magazines such as The List.

Arika - Edinburgh-based political arts organisation, yearly ‘Episodes’ with a focus on interdisciplinary practice, usually at Tramway
A Play, A Pie, A Pint - Lunchtime theatre at Òran Mór, Glasgow
Britannia Panopticon - World’s oldest surviving Music Hall, some live performance but mostly heritage site
Buzzcut - Live Art Festival in Glasgow, usually March/April
Civic House and the Glue Factory - work and event spaces offering workings, performances, talks and screenings
Citizens Theatre - large-scale theatre recently re-opened after a major refurbishment, home to touring shows and major in-house productions
Common Guild - Visual arts organisation, some performances throughout the year
Cryptic - Mostly sound and sonic-arts based performances throughout the year; Sonica festival in Glasgow, usually Sep/Oct
Dance International Glasgow (DIG) - Biennial Dance Festival, usually at Tramway in March or October
Dundee Rep - touring theatre, dance and comedy, home to Scottish Dance Theatre
Edinburgh International Festival (EIF) and Fringe - Edinburgh, in August
Festival Theatre - Edinburgh; performances throughout the year, mostly national and international tours
Imaginate - Theatre for Young Audiences, commissions throughout the year; festival in Edinburgh, usually May/June
King's Theatre - Glasgow; national and international tours, e.g., Musicals
Manipulate - Visual theatre and film festival with a focus on puppetry and object theatre, usually in January (Edinburgh, Glasgow and other cities)
National Theatre of Scotland (NTS) - Glasgow and throughout Scotland
Pavilion Theatre - Big, privately owned Variety theatre in Glasgow
Platform - Theatre and Arts Centre in Easterhouse
Project X - Multi-disciplinary arts organisation, championing dance of the African and Caribbean diaspora; productions and artist bursaries
Royal Lyceum - Edinburgh theatre programming touring shows alongside major in-house productions
Scottish Ballet - Theatre Royal, Glasgow, and throughout Scotland
Scottish Dance Theatre - Dundee Rep Theatre and throughout Scotland
Scottish Opera - Theatre Royal, Glasgow, and throughout Scotland
Surge - Glasgow-based organisation for outdoor arts, physical theatre and circus; usually present work at the Merchant City Festival
SWG3 - live music and performance venue, home of the Clydeside Initiative for Arts
Take Me Somewhere (TMS) - Biennial theatre and performance festival, usually at Tramway in autumn; artist development workshops throughout the year
Theatre Royal - Glasgow, home of Scottish Opera and Scottish Ballet, in addition to big touring productions (e.g. National Theatre)
Tramway - Glasgow, performances and exhibitions throughout the year; venue for festivals such as TMS and DIG
Traverse Theatre - Edinburgh
Tron Theatre - Trongate, Glasgow. New writing, touring shows and a famous panto across a main-stage and a smaller studio often featuring experimental work

Some examples of renowned Scotland-based theatre and dance companies that currently produce work are:

In addition, you can see excellent theatre at the university, including work by our practice-based PhD students, Level 2 group projects (in February), the Single Honours Group Project (in March), as well as the final projects of our Theatre and Performance Practice Masters (in August).

Also, here you can view Pandemic Stories, a performance based on verbatim accounts of the Covid-19 pandemic, by staff and students in Theatre Studies.