Elaine C Smith is bringing one of the biggest hits of this year’s Edinburgh Festival to Glasgow for a three-week run at the Citizens Theatre.
The Scottish actress will reprise her leading role in Cathy, a comedy about grief, family and finding a way forward after losing someone you love.
The production sold out before opening at the Traverse Theatre during the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe and received widespread critical acclaim.
Now it will make its Glasgow debut from 11 to 27 March 2027 as part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival, with all five members of the original cast returning.
The play was written and directed by Glasgow actress and playwright Eilidh Loan, whose first stage production, Moorcroft, was a hit at the Tron Theatre.
Her latest work was inspired by her own grandmother, who grew up in Renfrew, and the way she dealt with the death of her husband.
Loan wrote the central character specifically for Smith after her grandmother told her that the actress was the only person she could imagine playing her on stage.
The story follows a Glasgow family struggling to reconnect in the aftermath of a funeral, combining sharp humour with the difficult emotions that follow bereavement.
Smith, familiar to television audiences through Rab C Nesbitt and Two Doors Down, will be joined by Michele Gallagher, Chloe Hodgson, Alan Orr and Sally Reid.
Smith said she was delighted to bring the production back to the city where it is set.
“To be part of the Glasgow International Comedy Festival and to be performing again at the prestigious Citizens Theatre is a dream come true.”
Loan said the show’s Edinburgh success had made its Glasgow homecoming particularly important to her.
The production also marks a first for the Glasgow International Comedy Festival, which is presenting a comedy play throughout almost the entire festival for the first time.
Festival director Krista MacDonald described the production as a particularly fitting choice for the event, bringing two Glasgow performers and a locally rooted story to one of the city’s best-known theatres.
The play was praised by critics during its Edinburgh run. The Guardian described it as a “snappy comedy with a perfect role for Elaine C Smith”.
There will be 23 performances at the Citizens Theatre, with tickets priced from £15.50 to £37.50. The running time is 75 minutes.
Tickets are available through the Citizens Theatre website