Bellshill writer’s play captures the changing times in theatre

‘Two on the Roof’, written by Colin and Greg Andrew, who is also the director of the show, will be presented by Shug the Dug Productions on Saturday, April 20.

Colin has been in the entertainment business for 30 years as a cabaret singer in various shows and the cruise ships.

He has had two successful musical theatre plays – ‘The Wise Guys’ and ‘Mistletoe and The Devines’. He received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in the Creative Industries in 2013 and currently works as scriptwriter for theatre and feature films.

Away from the entertainment business, Colin has notched up some interesting achievements.

He received citizenship of Bophuthatswana so that he could play for their national football team.

He was as selected by the management team in Sun City to look after Rod Stewart for one week, and also spent quality time with Brian May, of Queen, and played tennis with former horse racing jockey Willie Carson.

He played football with the Motherwell reserve team in the 1980s, and was a semi-finalist in the Dutch version of ‘Stars in Your Eyes’ as Neil Diamond.

Colin also mentored Lee Mead, (Joseph in the London West End show Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat) while onboard the cruise ships.

This latest production ‘Two On The Roof’ delves into the psyche of two washed up performers who have been given an escape from a dying era and how they begin to realise times have changed, professionally and, more importantly, personally.

It’s a humorous, compelling theatre production by Colin and Greg.

It’s 1958 and a worrying time for those employed in the theatre business.

All around the country theatres are converting into the entertainment sensation that is cinema. Added to this is the introduction of television, which not yet a threat, but a potential lucrative move for theatre performers everywhere. Scottish music hall variety theatre is in its death throws.

Two stalwarts of the music hall variety theatre, who are not yet convinced their era is in threat, are asked to play a showcase performance at a theatre they do not know is being converted soon.

Their first surprise though is the fact that they’re being asked to cut their performance by four minutes.

Their second surprise is information that the evening is a showcase for television and to one of them this is a huge opportunity ... but this isn’t their biggest surprise. They are shocked to find that in charge of the performance times and the show is a female, not just any female, but one who won’t put up with their backward view of women in theatre.

‘Two on the Roof’ at the Panopticon is on Saturday, April 20, at 2pm and 7.30pm. For tickets, call the box office on 0141 553 0840.