The Best Theatre of 2014

AND what a year it's been, with the city offering more of a selection box than Cadbury's could ever have come up with.

Sometimes the theatre plays themselves fail to live up to their billing, but that disappointmnet can often be offset by a great performance.

That was certainly the case at the beginning of the year when This Wide Night was staged at the Tron. The story of ex jailbird Lorraine (Elaine C.Smith) trying to make her way in the world with prison friend Chloe, (Jayd Johnson) was never quite ready for production.

However Elaine C.Smith as the confused, scrubbed-faced ex-con proved once and for all she truly is a drama queen, in the most positive sense of the expression.

Johnny McKnight's first Tron Theatre production of the year meantime was bolder than brass. How many writer-directors would come up with a play, Wendy Hoose, about a couple who connect on an internet dating site, talk themselves into having sex, and then male discovers the female has no legs?

And make the play a comedy?

Well, Johnny proved the subject matter can provide the backdrop for a comedy play, if handled cleverly, sensitively - and you have James Young and Amy Conachan starring.

Over at the Theatre Royal in May, One Man Two Guvnors didn't rely on subtlety for laughs. It was an unashamed farce and although Glaswegian traditionally take to farce in the way cats love a swim in the sea wearing an overcoat, the play worked, thanks to a huge energy and a cast including former Eastender's Shaun Williamson and Emma Barton.

There was another delight in town shortly afterwards when Glasgow's newest theatre Websters (formerly the Landsdowne Church at Kelvin Bridge), opened it's doors with a bouncy fun-packed production of Little Shop of Horrors.

The show revealed a great performance from reality show star Edward Reid as the Dentist, but actress Sabrina Carter from Carntyne stole everything but the furniture. Her Audrey was impeccable, and she revealed the voice that has taken her to the west end.

It was the Citizens' Theatre however which came up with the best production of the year.

The Libertine, by Stephen Jeffreys told the story of John Wilmot, the second Earl of Rochester - a hedonistic poet, playwright and rake whose appetite for women and wine made him a notorious figure.

This was a play which was grand, an impressive spectacle and stuffed full of lavish and flamboyant costumes, but none of that matters a jot if you don't have immensely clever direction, which Dominic Hill certainly produced and great performances from the likes of Martin Hutson who played the lascivious poet's vulnerability to perfection, Andy Clark and Tony Cownie.

Debauchery and drunken orgiastic fun - doesn't Glasgow just love it.

But let's not forget the city has had great major musical theatre success.

Wicked came to town, and the town was far from disappointed. The show may only contain two very good songs, but the production values, and just enough humour content, made it work. And Rod Stewart jukebox Tonight's the Night, was a night to wallow in.

Glasgow's Oran Mor meantime continued to stage its seasons of lunchtime plays, maintaining a level that built of production that increased the Play Pie and A Pint audiences on the previous year.

The stand-out success for the year was A Terrible Beauty, Rab C. Nesbitt writer Ian Pattison's story based on the final few days in the life of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins.

The only sad note for this play is Scotland may not get the chance to see it again. However Irish interest is currently growing faster than a Saturday night pub tale in Dublin.

Another Scottish writer reinforcing his talent was John Byrne. His Colquhoun and MacBride took us on a brisk tour of the rowdy, well-lubricated lives of two former Glasgow Art School Painters who went on to paint London red.

Andy Clark and Stephen Clyde were brilliant as the painting and real-life partners who crashed and burned.

Yet amazingly, two of the best plays at the Edinburgh Festival had the same title. Both 3000 Trees told the story of SNP activist Willie MacRae and considered whether he'd been murdered by state forces - or managed to shoot himself in the head. Twice.

Andy Paterson and George Gunn both produced cracking scripts, as was the storyline script for Oran Mor's Hank Williams biography, starring Sean Biggerstaffe.

The major theatre event of the year however was Still Game in August. How could Glasgow not pack the Hydro to see their heroes Ford Kiernan and Greg Hemphill kiss and make up?

And the year has been full of fun. Des McLean came up with the very clever and timely A-Z of Scotland.

And of course it's panto time. If you can get tickets for Miracle on 34 Parnie Street at the Tron snap them up. And the Krankies prove they still have it by the bucket load in Cinderella at the SECC.

However it's impossible to cast an eye over the year and not reflect on the passing of Scottish theatre legend David MacLennan.

The Oran Mor producer, former 7:84 and Wildcat Theatre creator has left a void that will never be replaced. But a legacy that won't be forgotten.