Review: Man's Best Friend

Name: Douglas Maxwell's Man's Best Friend
Brand: Tron Theatre, Glasgow
Rating: 5 (1 reviews)

Lisa in the theatre
1 hour ago
4 min read

Douglas Maxwell's Man's Best Friend plays at Glasgow Tron Theatre from 19 June - 21 July before heading out on tour across Scotland in September.

review: Tron Theatre, Glasgow | 24 June 2025

Man's Best Friend ★★★★★

Leading Scottish playwright Douglas Maxwell returns to the Tron Theatre 25 years after his very first play premiered at the Glasgow Theatre. Maxwell's 'Man's Best Friend', directed by the Tron's Artistic Director Jemima Levick, is an expanded, restaging of the work originally performed as part of A Play, A Pie and A Pint at Oran Mor.

Seemingly a one-man play about dog-walking, Man's Best Friend is a hilarious, profound, rollercoaster of a story about love, loneliness and loss. Performed by panto favourite and River City regular Jordan Young, Man's Best Friend is a beautifully structured, heartbreaking yet uplifting tale of a Glasgow man getting on with life in the most difficult of circumstances.

Ronnie (Jordan Young) has been walking his neighbours dogs. A lot of them. All at the same time! But when the dogs make a run for it in the woods, Ronnie finds himself looking, not just for them, but for answers and closure related to his personal struggles.

Glasgow Tron Theatre are on a winning streak this year with the production values of their inhouse productions soaring way beyond what is to be expected for the ticket price. Here Becky Minto's winding green park set is lit precisely by Grant Anderson, using darkness and shade with pinpoint precision to set the tone for each varying scene.

Director Jemima Levick's keen eye for staging a piece of theatre is written all over this. A one-man play this may be, but it's full of movement and intrigue. Every aspect is meticulously presented and beautifully judged.

Maxwell's writing is incredible. There is an integrity to his Glaswegian dialogue and a poignant understanding of human tragedy. Even the dogs in this story all have their own unique personalities (and brilliant names!) - it's such a wild and unusual mix of themes to find in a play, but it really works. There are no real animals on stage, rather the dogs are brought to life via Maxwell's colourful descriptions as well as occasional, delightful, illustrations by Ross Collins.

Jordan Young does a remarkable job of telling this darkly comic story and of remembering all of the dogs names, owners and whereabouts in each scene. He never over-plays the comedy, yet manages to land every joke with adept timing and assured certainty. He excels as the deeply troubled Ronnie, showcasing a range of acting talent we rarely witness on stage. This is sure to be a career-defining performance for Young and I expect to see his name on ALL the awards lists this year.

Beautifully written, expertly directed, and performed with such stunning skill, sensitivity and honesty, Man's Best Friend finds the perfect balance between hilarious one liners, emotional intelligence and dogs. Gorgeous ★★★★★

Man's Best Friend plays at Glasgow Tron Theatre from 19 June - 21 July before heading out on tour across Scotland in September.

Running time approx. 80 minutes no interval.

Recommended age – 14+ Contains adult themes.

Writer Douglas Maxwell says of the play:

‘I had my debut play staged in the Tron, way back in 2000. Since then, every time I’ve had work on there it’s felt special. The humour, sadness and hope in my writing tends to strike a chord. A one person show is an intimate thing. But it can create a powerful theatrical connection between a skilled storyteller and an audience, built in empathy, imagination and shared experience, which in the end becomes something much bigger. That’s also what Man’s Best Friend is about. Our need to connect with the world, to be of use, to be bigger. And dogs. It’s also about dogs.’

Also playing in Glasgow this week: Peter Arnott's the Inquisitor at Oran Mor. Read my review of the last A Play, A Pie and a Pint show of the season here