WebMarApr2019

20 | www.westendermagazine.com
Top Things To Do
in the West End
by Tracy Mukherjee
Top for Comedy
Can you believe it’s a year since the last
Glasgow International Comedy Festival? The
annual March Giggle Gala returns across the
city bringing Glaswegians the best from the
international comedy circuit. Now Europe’s
largest comedy festival, stars will be attending
from the UK and beyond. Venues in the west
include Oran Mor, The Stand, Websters and
the Tall Ship, but there are an abundance of
shows dotted around a myriad of establishments
nearby. Comedians to watch out for include
the fabulously dry Rich Hall at the Garage on
Sauchiehall Steet, Scotland’s very own Craig Hill
at Oran Mor and the hilarious Mark Nelson (he
of the politically savvy daughter) at the Stand.
Darren Connell, of Scot Squad fame also treads
the boards of the Stand in his Abandon All Hope
show. We’ve yet to see if his alter ego Boaby will
make an appearance with Officer Karen!
Glasgow International Comedy Festival,
14th -31st March, various venues
glasgowcomedyfestival.com
Top for Theatre
Oran Mor’s now iconic A Play, A Pie and A
Pint has hit its 15th anniversary and will have
produced no less than 500 plays; quite an
achievement given the lunchtime theatre slot.
To recognise this landmark achievement, some
of the favourite productions from over the years
are making a return to the theatre. Plays by Liz
Lochhead, Dave Anderson and Morag Fullerton
are all on the Spring Season list, as well as new
works by less well known, yet no less talented
playwrights. Famous icons making a welcome
appearance include Chic Murray, Elvis, Jocky
Wilson and Humphrey Bogart… in dramatic form,
of course. The latter returns for the 500th play,
Casablanca – The Lunchtime Cut. This play
was voted for by the Oran Mor audience as the
favourite to have an anniversary encore.
Looking down this list of dramas, musicals
and comedies in this celebratory season, rest
assured a lunchtime theatre date is on the cards
this spring.
A Play, A Pie and A Pint Celebration
Season, Oran Mor, Byres Road
oran-mor.co.uk
Top for Top Art
We all have our favourite forms, genres, pieces
of art and over the years these pages have
signposted some utterly incredible local galleries
and some true national heroes e.g. Rennie
MacIntosh. I’m safe in saying that I haven’t
made previous reference to this chap who’s got
a few pieces being shown down at Kelvingrove.
His name? LEONARDO DA VINCI!!!
Twelve of the most intricate drawings by da
Vinci will be on show at Kelvingrove up until
May in the showcase Leonardo da Vinci: A Life
in Drawing. Lent to Kelvingrove Art Gallery
and Museum by Her Majesty The Queen from
the Royal Collection, the museum is the only
Scottish venue to exhibit these pieces. Across
the UK, 144 drawings in total are going on show
in a national celebration to mark 500 years
since the artist died. The drawings range from
anatomy to mechanical design, portraiture; even
weather sketches. With a number of da Vinci’s
own explanatory notes, this is an incredible
opportunity for visitors to get an insight in to the
mind of arguably the world’s greatest ever artist.
Kelvingrove is already home to one of the finest
collection of European art, so this is the cherry
on the cake. But my, what a glorious cherry it is…
Leonardo da Vinci:A Life in Drawing,
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum,
February - May 2019
glasgowlife.org.uk/news/leonardoda-vinci-a-life-in-drawing-coming-tokelvingrove-in-2019