5 Best Performing Arts in Glasgow, Scotland

In a former church, Glasgow's hugely successful lunchtime theater series called "A Play, a Pie, and a Pint" (and you do get all three) showcases new writing from Scotland and elsewhere. Doors open at 12:15 pm and shows begin at 1 pm Monday through Saturday. Performances sell out quickly, particularly late in the week, so book well in advance on the website.

A unique spectacle, Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre is the brainchild of Eduard Bersudsky, who came to Glasgow from Russia in 1989 to continue making the mechanical sculptures that are his stock in trade. They are witty and sometimes disturbing, perhaps because they are constructed from scrap materials. They move in a kind of ballet to haunting, specially composed music punctuated by a light show. The shows are 45 or 70 minutes.

Dramas, variety shows, and musicals are staged at the King's Theatre, open since 1904. It hosts many touring productions of musicals from London's West End. Check ticket websites to see what's on.

This traditional variety theater hosts family-friendly entertainment, some plays, the occasional hypnotist, and concerts, most with a very strong Glasgow flavor.

Come here for contemporary theater from Scotland and around the world; there are three performance spaces. The theater often plays host to works from young Scottish playwrights, and is unafraid to showcase work with provocative and contemporary themes.