Review: TWO DOORS DOWN, OVO Hydro

Created by Gregor Sharp and the late Simon Carlyle, the beloved Scottish sitcom Two Doors Down made its live debut at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro. The series is set in the fictional Glasgow suburb of Latimer Crescent and documents the everyday lives of a group of neighbours.

The whole television cast is here, and the show has been designed so that everyone gets the entrance they deserve, with a cheer going up every time Beth (Arabella Weir) and Eric (Alex Norton)’s doorbell goes. For those unfamiliar with the series, most of the action takes place in Beth and Eric’s living room, where they host their ungrateful neighbours for regular gatherings. Christine (Elaine C Smith) is the cantankerous woman next door who regularly imposes on the Bairds with an astounding lack of self-awareness. Cathy (Doon Mackichan) is the life and soul of the party in her own mind, and her husband Colin (Jonathan Watson) is equally insufferable in his own way. Michelle (Joy McAvoy) is bubbly, kind-hearted and very much like Beth, so her socially inept husband Alan (Grado) comes off as her polar opposite. Rounding off the regular cast are the Bairds’ son and budding musician Ian (Jamie Quinn) and his partner Gordon (Kieran Hodgson), who has to constantly fend off Cathy’s advances.

The set design is fantastic, and the neighbourhood has been rebuilt on stage with the house opening out to reveal the Bairds’ living room. They’ve managed to recreate this cosy sitcom onstage in a huge arena which is no mean feat. The script is sharp as ever, and there’s a whole heap of self-awareness as the gang muse over whether or not the Hydro is worth visiting. 

The narrative of the show is that one of the families is planning to sell up and there is a collective intake of breath throughout the venue when this is revealed. What makes Two Doors Down so good is how relatable it is, (everyone has a Cathy in their lives), and there’s no big sensational storyline. It focuses on human connection and everyday conversation, which is what makes the script so brilliant. The writing is hilarious and all of the actors are giving it their all.

Two Doors Down has succeeded hugely in taking everything audiences love about it onscreen to an arena venue without losing any of its heart.

Photo credit: IG Photography

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