In recent years, Glasgow’s rediscovered exuberance has been expressed by a new wave of Scottish writers, an energetic live music scene and the flourishing of contemporary art and design.
Tickets to cultural events are available from the venues or from
Ticketmaster (website:
www.ticketmaster.co.uk). The main guide to cultural events is
The List (website:
www.list.co.uk).
Music: Glasgow has a healthy popular and independent
music scene (see
Nightlife). High culture is also well represented, from September to April, by two symphony orchestras and Scotland’s national opera company.
Scottish Opera (tel: (0141) 248 4567; website:
www.scottishopera.org.uk) is the largest performing arts organization in Scotland, performing at the
Theater Royal, 282 Hope Street (tel: (0141) 240 1111; website:
www.theaterroyalglasgow.com). The
Royal Scottish National Orchestra (tel: (0141) 226 3868; website:
www.rsno.org.uk) is Scotland’s leading symphony orchestra. Its popular Proms concerts take place in June, at the
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, 2 Sauchiehall Street (tel: (0141) 353 8000; website:
www.grch.com). The
BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (tel: (0141) 338 2606; website:
www.bbc.co.uk/bbcsso) can be seen live at various venues and the refurbished
City Halls (tel: (0141) 353 8000). This is also the Glasgow home of the
Scottish Chamber Orchestra (website:
www.sco.org.uk). The
Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama (RSAMD)
, 100 Renfrew Street (tel: (0141) 332 4101; website:
www.rsamd.ac.uk), puts on a wide range of performing arts productions.
Theater: Glasgow has over a dozen theaters and performance venues showcasing local pieces and a variety of contemporary works as well as old favorites and touring productions. The 600-seat
Citizen’s Theater, 119 Gorbals Street (tel: (0141) 429 0022; website:
www.citz.co.uk), is one of the best places for theatergoers to witness groundbreaking contemporary drama and re-workings of foreign and historical pieces.
The Tramway, 25 Albert Drive (tel: (0141) 276 0950; website:
www.tramway.org), is also known for challenging and thought-provoking work. The late-19th-century facade of the
King’s Theater, 297 Bath Street (tel: 0870 060 6648; website:
www.theambassadors.com/kings), belies the lively musicals that are performed inside.
Dance: The
Scottish Ballet (tel: (0141) 331 2931; website:
www.scottishballet.co.uk) performs at the
Theater Royal, 282 Hope Street (tel: (0141) 240 1111; website:
www.theaterroyalglasgow.com), and is Scotland’s national dance company.
Film: The Glasgow Film Theater (GFT), 12 Rose Street (tel: (0141) 332 8128; website:
www.gft.org.uk), is a wonderful cinema with a varied program of foreign, independent, arthouse, classic and popular films. Mainstream cinemas in the city include the
UGC Renfrew Street, 7 Renfrew Street (tel: 0871 200 2000; website:
www.ugccinemas.co.uk), near the main shopping precinct. In the West End,
The Grosvenor, Ashton Lane (tel: (0141) 339 8444; website:
www.grosvenorcinema.co.uk), is a small cinema with comfy leather seats and a bar.
An increasing number of films are shot and produced in Glasgow each year. Large parts of the hit films
Shallow Grave (1994) and
Trainspotting (1996) were filmed here, as was
Small Faces (1996), which captures the gang violence on a Glasgow housing estate in 1968.
Carla’s Song (1996),
My Name is Joe (1998), and
Ae Fond Kiss (2004) all directed by Ken Loach, were also filmed and set in Glasgow. Released in 1999,
Ratcatcher is an atmospheric portrayal of the city’s poorer side, seen through the eyes of a 12-year-old boy in the 1970s. Three 2005 releases were shot in the city:
On a Clear Day, directed by Gaby Dellal, is about the Govan shipyards;
Unleashed, starring Morgan Freeman and Jet Li, an action film; and the psychological thriller
The Jacket starring Keira Knightley.
Literary Notes: Traditional Scottish heritage continues to influence the cultural scene in Glasgow and remains a source of intense pride. There is a deep-rooted attachment to Scottish literature and poetry, particularly the works of Robert Burns, celebrated each year on Burns Night (25 January). The Mitchell Library, on North Street, has a large collection of his poetry in its Robert Burns Room.
Glasgow has drawn the praise of a number of literary admirers, including Daniel Defoe, Sir John Betjeman (who described it as the most perfect Victorian city center in the UK) and Bill Bryson, who voted Glasgow as his favorite city in Britain.
In the past couple of decades, Glasgow has experienced something of a literary renaissance.
Lanark (1981), Alisdair Gray’s debut novel, set in a fictional version of Glasgow and combining elements of fantasy, science fiction, autobiography and social realism, has become a cult classic. William McIlvanney’s
Laidlaw crime novels are set in Glasgow, as is James Kelman’s Booker Prize-winning
How Late It Was, How Late (1994), which traces the life of a down-on-his-luck Glaswegian, through stream-of-consciousness Scots dialect. Christopher Brookmyre’s award-winning, blackly comic novels contain references to Glasgow, where the author was educated and now lives.
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Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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