Two Doors Down: Live! (BBC Comedy Festival), Tron Theatre, Glasgow. Thursday 23rd May, 2024

Occasionally, I get lucky. I read about this event on the Chortle website as part of the promotion for the BBC Comedy Festival being held in Glasgow. By chance, I was on leave when the tickets became available. I thought it would sell out in seconds, especially as the Festival is primarily aimed at those in the industry, but somehow, I managed to snag two seats.

All nine members of the cast were present for the read-through of two episodes:  "Anniversary" (from series four, 2019) and "Vegas" (from series seven, 2023). Although the actors were reading their lines, seated in a semicircle on stage, their characters sprung to life straight off the page, their delivery familiar to all yet still piercingly funny. It was such a joy to be present for this. When the cast occasionally cracked up, triggered by someone's expression or a look, their laughs were contagious as we recognised that they were genuine. Kieran went further during the first episode finale, leaving his seat to throw himself into his expressive drunk dance, drawing bigger laughs the more outlandish his moves became. Definitely more Kieran than Gordon on display.

During the Q&A, the cast paid tribute to the writing, commenting that everything was there on the page. Elaine C. Smith told us how she came to be involved in the series; unbeknownst to her, the writers created the character of Christine specifically with her in mind. No one knew what happened to her offscreen husband. 

They paid tribute to Simon Carlyle, the series co-creator, who passed away last year, commenting he was often on set, watching every take, making notes and changing lines like a mischievous imp determined to bring out more funny. The cast often had to do over fifty takes for every scene (the record was seventy-three) so that every character's reaction could be captured for the edit. Grado admitted, having admired Jonathon Watson's comedy career for years, notably on Only An Excuse, that one day he nudged his hero just before the cameras rolled and asked him to do his Graeme Souness.  

Everyone in the audience wanted to know, "Will there be any more?" Unfortunately, the answer was unclear. Reading between the lines, it looks like Simon Carlyle was so integral to the production that it would be difficult to do more without him. The cast hadn't all been in the same room since his funeral (until today), which was bittersweet for them. They all want to do more, to put a bow on it, as Elaine commented,  but it is more likely to be on stage rather than on TV. 

I didn't take any pictures during the show. I was too scared. The ushers were like ninjas, pouncing on anyone who raised their phone. I did take a couple at the end, though. 

They obviously hadn't rehearsed the final bow.

Ticket Price: Free. (or should I say priceless?) 

Blurb

Two Doors Down Cast: The beloved cast of the award-winning sitcom “Two Doors Down” will bring the laughter to the stage as they perform episodes from the series and engage in a lively Q&A session.