Review: Tony Roper's The Steamie | 2026 Scottish tour, Glasgow King's Theatre
Tony Roper brings his classic Scottish comedy play The Steamie to the King’s Theatre, Glasgow this week where it plays on the final stop of its Scottish tour until Saturday 14 November 2026. Read my review of The Steamie below.
The Steamie ★★★★☆
Review: 3 November 2026 | The King's Theatre, Glasgow
Originally staged in 1987, The Steamie quickly became a Scottish national treasure. Written by another national treasure, Tony Roper, the play captures the unique humour and spirit of working-class Glasgow women.
The story focuses on four women who have come to a steamie - a Glasgow public washhouse - on Hogmanay in the late 1950s to do their final clothes wash of the year. Now playing the final venue of its 2026 Scottish tour, The Steamie arrives at the King's Theatre in Glasgow this week with a glorious cast of multigenerational talent.
Leading the show, the brilliant pairing of the magnetic Louise McCarthy as fast-talking, trouble-making Dolly and powerhouse Ali Cleland as Magrit, make for a sensational comic duo. Eden Barrie is all bright-eyed optimism and wonder as young Doreen, while Lesley Mackie's gentle Mrs Culfeathers has the audience in stitches with her meandering story about her husband's preference for a particular butcher's mince. Paul J Corrigan rounds out the five-strong ensemble as supervisor of the steamie, Andy. He doesn't have a huge amount to do, and ultimately his character feels peripheral to the core narrative, which quite rightly belongs to the women.
Tony Roper directs the cast across Kenny Miller's impeccably detailed washhouse set. Steam billows from various sinks and drawers as the ladies scrub clothes, share jokes and gossip. While The Steamie lacks a traditional dramatic arc, it thrives on the sheer joy of the witty banter, shared secrets and comforting hum of female camaraderie. It's such a beautifully observed slice-of-life drama that captures one single night in the lives of these ordinary women. It's less about what happens and more about who's doing the talking.
The patter's crackin
The Steamie is full of wit and sharp Scottish dialogue, as well as numerous unforgettable set pieces such as "the phone sketch" and the aforementioned "mince". Yet again, Louise McCarthy excels in delivering a masterclass in physical comedy at every turn. She's a divine Dolly and worth the price of your ticket alone, but the cast are all very strong here.
Although character-driven rather than plot-driven, The Steamie packs a genuinely heartwarming, uplifting and emotional punch. I had never considered how the arrival of washing machines in homes and public laundrettes would mean the loss of outings and friendship for these women who had come to rely on companionship at the public steamies. I shed more than a tear. It's just so beautifully done.
The Steamie is not a musical, but Dave Anderson's lively songs are a wonderful complement to the dialogue. Perfectly judged and so full of careful detail, they act as an escape mechanism for the women, allowing them to dream or to reminisce during a break from their physical work.
Pals is the iconic musical number from the show. A toe-tapping track about the power of female solidarity and an ode to the working-class community, I found it surprisingly poignant as well as impossibly catchy. But there's an inspired song about the aspirations of moving to a housing scheme in Drumchapel, sung by Eden Barrie as the hopeful Doreen, that proved another highlight. Dreams serves as a beautiful bittersweet reminder of how lucky we all are to now have indoor toilets, hot baths and televisions as standard.
Ali Cleland shows off her powerful singing voice and vibrant stage presence as she leads the wonderfully ironic "Isn't it Wonderful to be a Woman" with a biting, deadpan irony. And that's where The Steamie excels almost 40 years after its debut: with a balance of wit and an unflinching, poignant look back at the poverty and stamina of these everyday heroes.
The Steamie is a warm, nostalgic, laugh-out-loud funny tribute to working-class Glasgow women. It's a rerr terr. Don't miss it. ★★★★☆
The Steamie is at the King’s Theatre, Glasgow until Saturday 14 November 2026. Tickets from
https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/tony-ropers-the-steamie/kings-theatre-glasgow/
MORE: Find The Steamie 2026 tour cast announcement here
MORE: Panto News: Louise McCarthy joins the Glasgow Pavilion panto. Read the interview here
MORE: Also playing in Glasgow this week: Zamboni at A Play, A Pie and A Pint. Read my review here
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