“Isn’t it wonderful tae be a wummin?” Co-produced by Louise McCarthy and Ryan Dewar, the legendary stage show returns to Glasgow this November.
The Steamie is returning to Glasgow this November(Image: Christopher Bowen/Rerr Terr Productions)
Almost every Glaswegian knows – and loves – The Steamie. And Tony Roper’s masterpiece is to make a triumphant return to the city this November – with the soon to be 85-year-old playwright sitting back in the director’s chair.
For any Glaswegians that are somehow unfamiliar, The Steamie is set in a washhouse on Hogmanay in the late 1950s, following four punchy female characters as they gossip, banter and share their worries with each other. Their poignant conversations and brilliant Glasgow patter paint a picture of what it meant to be a working class woman in the city at the time.
Written by Tony Roper and with songs by Dave Anderson, the play, first produced in 1987, is to make a return to the King’s Theatre from November 2 – November 14 as part of a wider Scotland tour with Rerr Terr Productions.
Co-produced by Louise McCarthy (Wild Rose, Scot Squad) and Ryan Dewar, the legendary stage show is guaranteed to be a success in its home city.
And whether you’re a Dolly, Magrit, Doreen or a Mrs Culfeathers, you’re likely to have grown up watching the televised version of The Steamie – much like Louise McCarthy herself.
The actor-turned-producer told Glasgow Live: “It’s a massive dream, and I can’t quite believe it. The Steamie has always been the play that made me want to be an actor. It’s such an institution.
“I feel really honoured for it to be in my hands, for [Tony Roper] to trust me to protect it.”
The actor from Maryhill said she was shocked Tony Roper – who knocked her back from playing Doreen “about three times” before she made it to The Steamie’s cast in 2019 – agreed to come back and direct the play at age 85.
She said: “By the mathematics, it’s probably his last time directing. So I think that’s what’s really special about this production. You’re seeing a version that’s directed by the person who knows it the best…
“And it’s the last time you’ll probably get the chance.”
Louise is playing the role of Dolly after previously portraying Magrit for a run of special performances at the Hydro back in 2019.
And she believes the lasting power of The Steamie comes down to its true-to-life characters, explaining that she has related to each of the women as she has grown up, now in her early forties.
She said: “When you’re first interested in The Steamie obviously you relate to Doreen – she’s young, she’s got dreams. And then I would relate to Magrit, because I see my mum in her.
“And then as you get older, you start to look at Mrs Culfeathers… I’m only about 40 but you go ‘oh my gosh in 20 years I’ll be 60, I probably will have lost people’.
“So you look at her lonliness and think ‘is that what’s in front of me?’.
“And Dolly is just really good fun and likes to keep spirits up, so I probably relate to her as a person.
“As an audience member, there’s something in every character to recognise and connect with.”
Louise is also keen to pass down the legendary piece of theatre to the next generation, who she believes need pals like the women of The Steamie more than most.
She added: “More than ever in the world we’re looking for the sense of community from The Steamie, because we’re so isolated now.
“Ryan and I want to pass The Steamie on to the younger generation. It’s so important that we show them what community looks like, and that these relationships are possible, they’re fruitful and joyful, and they actually make your life better.”
The Steamie, produced by Louise McCarthy and Ryan Dewar and directed by Tony Roper is coming to the King’s Theatre from November 2 to November 14 as part of a wider Scottish tour including dates in Edinburgh, Stirling, Ayr, Dundee, Dunfermline and Aberdeen.
Lesley Mackie will portray Mrs Culfeathers, while Ali Cleland joins the cast as Magrit. Eden Barrie will play Doreen, and Paul J Corrigan will portray Andy.
Full details and tickets can be found here.
