I love, love, love the Citz - as Nicola C says, it's a Glasgow institution and is probably the best…read moreplace to start your theatre-going-life if you've never been before. It's relaxed and welcoming and you don't need to get dressed up if that isn't your thing. I've been to the Citz a few times over the years - ages ago to see A Clockwork Orange, and on Friday to see Trainspotting. Buying tickets online is really easy, and if you're a local you can get 50p tickets which I think is such a brilliant idea. In the foyer there's a bar and seating so you can have a drink while you wait for the show to start - we decided to just have water but they have the usual bar selection you'd expect. And there's a bar upstairs. Inside the theatre is comfy and cosy - we were in the third row and had an amazing view of the stage (at points, almost *too* amazing). I don't want to give away much about Trainspotting aside from saying if you don't have tickets already, you really need to get them as it's an amazing stage production and the cast are truly brilliant. The building itself is worth a visit alone - they have tours which are worth booking onto as I learned so much and really appreciated the behind-the-scenes perspective. They also offer acting classes for kids and adults, and have a range of other ways of getting involved with the theatre. I'm definitely going to be visiting more often - I really enjoyed doing something a bit different for a night out and still can't stop thinking about how good Trainspotting was, days later!

I went for the first time to the Citizens theatre to see 1984…read more The place is absolutely lovely. The theatre itself is smaller than I had imagined, but very cosy and the seats comfortable. We were seated on the second row and had a perfect view, with a real full blown experience from being so close to the stage. The play was also fantastic: I will definitely go again!

I spent a few hours here on Monday night with some friends, being taught how to play a couple of…read morecarsd games. The CCA is somewhere that i periodically hear people talking about, but I've never quite made it there myself. But I'm glad I have now. In many respects it reminds me of The Arches (RIP) - there's a reception / box office thing as you go in, then the actual bar is all exposed brickwork. The CCA is basically the space inbetween 2 buildings. So you have the original external sandstone walls becoming the internal walls of the CCA - i love this kind of use of space. The roof is one giant skylight, which makes this place really light and airy. We couldn't eat as the kitchen was closed for work to be done on it - but it has a reputation of doing really good food, so we'll be trying it out soon. It's fairly moderate/bordering on expensively priced - the beer we had was £4.50 a pint. They also do a table service when it's quiet. Overall I enjoyed our evening here and would like to go back on the weekend or for one of their events.

Ah, the CCA. Often forgotten but perhaps that makes it one of Glasgow's better-kept secrets. It's…read morean interesting space as it's difficult to put a stamp on. They run a number of different events and activities, making it difficult to recommend unless you have something specific to tell people to visit. The space itself is brilliant, very modern in the front with a bar and café/restaurant, and an additional bar upstairs that very much fits the art scene feel. In the middle is one of those exterior interiors, with outdoor walls and bannisters. If you enjoy any type of arts and culture from literature, art, and performance art, to music, give their website a glance over and see what interests you. They have so many projects and exhibitions it's difficult to keep up, but you can usually find something really wonderful. Last time I was there I saw some interesting work in digital media and photography. Even if you just fancy a coffee and a nibble, it's a great change from your typical coffee shop or gastropub. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed.

This is Glasgow University's resident theatre and as such has seen more than it's fair share of…read moretypical student theatre productions. During my first and second year at Glasgow uni, I opted to study theatre studies, I really wish I hadn't bothered. Most of the productions here are the typical student fair in that they try to use the "shock" factor of stripping off and simulating sex on stage, how original. G12 also stages professional productions and I remember going to see an apocolyptic piece here which had more phallus's than you could shake a stick at and I remember a Neanderthal character running through the audience with his 'what not' on show. If 2012 really is the apocalypse then if this piece of theatre is anything to go on, I'd advise that you wear sun glasses at all times as the way these luvvies were shaking it, they could have taken a few eyes out. The sound section is pretty good and I got the opportunity to do the sound for a few amateur productions at G12 during my 2nd year. I guess most productions here certainly aren't boring and you never know, you might see some new, fresh talent. However, most productions are predictable and rather abstract in that you have to look at the "deeper meaning" and find out what that particular piece of theatre meant for you, making it probably one of the most pretentious theatres in Glasgow.

As E-Bot has been studying theatre, I often find myself taking in a few student and the odd…read moreprofessional productions at the G12. I'll say one thing for it, it's never boring. Amongst others, I've seen a guy with a rubber phallus strapped to his head, and someone smear themselves in paint before jumping onto a massive white sheet of paper. Utter madness. Brilliant.

Theatre Royal is the oldest surviving theatre in Glasgow, the original building dating from 1867…read morewhen it opened as Bayliss' Coliseum before being renamed as Theatre Royal in 1869. Perhaps uniquely, it has been rebuilt twice by architect C J Phipps following major fires in 1880 and 1895. Although not as prolific a theatre architect as Frank Matcham, Phipps' style is splendidly represented in this building, regarded as the largest and best surviving example of his work. But don't judge the building from its bland exterior; you have to see the wonderfully ornate auditorium to really appreciate Phipps' work. The building was home to STV's studios for many years, before being sold to Scottish Opera in 1975, and it has been their home stage ever since, and is also the main home to Scottish Ballet's productions as well as being a main-scale house on the UK touring circuit. The stage is not huge by today's standards, but it's still larger than many London theatres and is the largest Glasgow can offer at the moment. The theatre is currently run and programmed by ATG (as is the Kings), so Glasgow is well served by the big touring shows. Currently the building is having a new foyer added at the corner of Hope Street and Cowcaddens in the form of a round tower, which has been a major feat of engineering to fit in with the existing architecture. As part of this refurbishment parts of the auditorium have been altered to something closer to the original design, with old entrance arches and the seating layout restored to improve audience flow and sightlines. Like any theatre, this one has a few ghosts, and like the Edinburgh Festival Theatre, there was a fire-related incident here that resulted in new legislation coming into force. In 1969, when STV moved out of the building into their new premises next door and the theatre was being restored, there was a major fire in the sub-stage area. The fire department tackled this with the then relatively new technique of pumping suppressant foam into the fire. One of the fire officers Archie McLay, working in the darkness of the stage area, fell through the stage floor into the sub-basement of the building - this extends about 20m underneath the stage floor and is carved out of solid bedrock (it was a former quarry), so it was full of foam. He was not reported as missing until the fire was under control, by which time it was too late. Resulting from this dreadful accident, the fire department introduced a 'deadman switch' device to be worn by all officers, which would radio an alarm signal if the officer was stationary for more than a few minutes. This incident is now marked by a stone plaque in the pavement of Hope Street. There have been a few reported sightings of Archie in the sub-basement, and most staff who have occasion to be down there late at night when the building is quiet will report a spooky atmosphere and a feeling like they are being watched by ghostly eyes...

I'm fairly certain I've seen things here prior to the refurb, but for the life of me I just can't…read moreremember. However, since the refurb I've been several times: some plays and operas. And i like it. Vanilla Black's has moved from Sauchiehall St, and is now the resident café for the theatre - and it's turned out to be a handy place for me to pop in for a quick work lunch. The foyer itself is open, spacious, and very welcoming - the spiral staircase is awesome, and is becoming an iconic feature of the theatre. Beyond that, it's functional and does what you expect, and you'll tend to find quite a lot of less populist productions here. The only downside is the extreme pricing at the bar. Seriously, £11 for 2 bottles of cheap lager is disgustingly extortionist.

A nice theatre just round the corner from The Kings Theatre…read more Been here a few times for different events including pantomime and stand up comedy and always had a good night. It's got a lot of character and the staff are polite and helpful. It's not huge, but that's an old trick to sell the place out! On topic, the seats are comfy enough which made a difference when I saw Dave Gorman in here last year as it was a good 3 hours long! A good venue where ticket prices for events are noticable cheaper than some other similar theatres though it could of course just be a coincidence.

The Pavillion has been in business for 105 years now, and just keeps going from strength to…read morestrength. The other night we went to see comedian Dave Gorman (who I highly recommend!) and the theatre was packed to its 1500 capacity. It appeared that my (faux) fur coat was unnecessary, as everyone else just wore jeans and t-shirts. Never mind. Some of the fittings are showing their age a little, and the whole thing could do with a lick or ten of paint, but I suppose this all adds to the character. I suppose people will have been a lot skinnier 105 years ago, but I found the seats a bit cramped, and I'm not exactly a heavyweight. At half-time (or whatever) I got a Magnum off the wee lady, which I thought was pretty good. I was expecting the prices to be as ker-ayzee as in the cinema. I had a good time there, and it's a nice theatre with some traditional theatre character.

Vanishing Point are possibly, aside from the National Theatre, the most important company working…read morein Scotland. If their recent updating of The Beggar's Opera divided audiences and critics, it was a fascinating fusion of old school theatre and modern approaches, ending in an orgy and cutting swipes at the power of television. The company, led by Matthew Lenton, are restless: the scale of Beggar's was preceded by the intimate Interiors, a multiple award winning show and Lenton's past ambitions have included expression films turned into macabre dramas and studies of the thrill of rock climbing. They are also known for their enthusiasm for using theatres to devise their work: Tramway has frequently inspired idiosyncratic shows, and their willingness to collaborate- including with local rocker Quinn- sets them apart from the majority of theatre companies. They are always worth seeing: accessible yet radical, thoughtful and daring. Lenton is an uncompromising voice in the modern Scottish theatre.

Oh no I didn't! Oh yes I did! Yup it was that time of year again, panto time!! Yaaaay!…read more To be honest I haven't been to a panto in a long time well the last one I actually starred in as a good fairy back in 2006 in Blantyre. It was a last minute thing when my friend text to say they had some spare tickets to see Snow White. Now this wasn't just going with friends, oh no, this was going with half the brownies and guides from High Blantyre. Yelp! So when heading down to Blantyre train station it had been taken over by lots of little girls in yellow hats. What a sight?! So we made it to Glasgow, alighting at Anderston station, which therefore makes it only a 10min walk up to The Kings. So with a bunch of excited girls, I think I may have reached their level by now. Our seats were in the Gods, the Gallery if you want to be technical. Eep! Not my favourite part of the theatre but it's the cheap seats of the theatre. So the entrance is at the side of the building. After several flights of what felt like never ending stairs we made it to the top. We then headed down the aisle steps to our seats at a 45 degree angle to keep yourself upright, as it's soooooo steep. The Kings is a beautiful theatre that's many many years old. I always enjoy going but I normally pay a little bit more to get a better seat, normally Upper or Grand Circle, sometimes Stalls depending on the prices. One day I'll be I'll in the box seats. The stage is large and the sets were amazing. The costumes were stunning, so much detail from the principles characters right down to the chorus and dancers. The actors did a fine job and I did have a wee sigh of how much I do miss performing in the ol' pantoland. I think sitting in with the kids made it even more fun. I didn't realise though that Darius was in it though. Meh! Not a fan and could they mention Pop Idol, Colourblind, or Pop Star to Opera Star anymore times?! Shoooosh! Gavin Mitchell did a great job, he tastefully mentioned Gerald Kelly in the show and they dedicated the show at then end and had a minute clapping. The toilets were a bit of a nightmare though, as it's an old building it doesn't have as many toilets. The gents toilets were out of order at first so they had made the ladies a temporary gents. Then out of the two ladies toilets one was broken. So little girls being little girls, (whiny voice) "I need the toilet.", one goes they all go. So the queue went up the stairwell backing up to the entrance to the Gods. So a poor member of staff had to keep filling up the cistern with a bucket of water to get the other toilet working. At least the staff tried. Over all it was a great day out and The Kings always guarentees to have great shows on. I'm just waiting for Wicked to come to Glasgow. Hurry up London, fly up that Wicked Witch of West to us.

Panto is impressive here It's an old and traditional theatre…read more Seats could be a little more comfortable and could do with a little more space

Although it has been running for less than five years, the NTS has already made a dramatic impact…read more By not having a single home theatre space, it has entered into collaborations with everyone from Tramway to local communities: the recent Allotment performances were staged in a disused shop in Govan! As yet, the NTS has not clearly defined an identity, so it is presenting a variety of works, producing everything from contemporary versions of classic scripts- the recent House of Bernada Alba set the Spanish classic in Glasgow's East End- to more experimental works like Home, a simultaneous happening across the country. On the negative side, this does mean that there is no recognisable house style: on the positive, they are including work from all manner of artists, and exploring the breadth of Scottish performance activity. Yet there is a consistent quality of performance, with a few big names alongside the regular faces: they are also bringing back some great plays for public attention. They are engaged actively in the discussion about what Scottish, as opposed to British, theatre might mean and their experimental work is always worth a punt.

Mischief La Bas are the cheeky monkeys of live art. A knowing wink, a cheap laugh and suddenly,…read morethey are exploring complex ideas about performance and life. Main man Ian Smith has become a regular face on the performance circuit, hosting difficult events like the National Review of Live Art with a broad sense of humour and a deep respect. Mischief events are usually free: they turn up unexpectedly in public spaces, scrub the street furniture clean or stage a football match between surreal teams. The acceptable face of live art, they could be mistaken for a comedy sketch show, until their serious intent reveals itself in a moment of dramatic recognition.