Latest news with #CitizensTheatre
The National
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The National
Citizens Theatre to reopen after 7 years with free events
A BELOVED Glasgow institution is set to open after redevelopment with a community-led procession through the area. The Citizens Theatre is reopening after seven years, with plans for special performances and an opportunity for visitors to explore the revamped venue. On August 23, two giant puppets inspired by Greek theatre goddesses Melpomene and Thalia will lead a procession of residents, performers and musicians as they escort the characters of Comedy and Tragedy to their theatrical home. READ MORE: BBC denies editing Irish language out of new CMAT song The theatre's doors will then be thrown open for a weekend-long open house, where visitors can enjoy free access to workshops, pop-up events and the main stage. Catrin Evans, participate director at the Citizens Theatre, said: "The Homecoming Festival is inspired by our fantastic new building which we know so many people are keen to get inside – but it's also about so much more. "It's about reconnecting with our neighbours, welcoming new voices, and celebrating creativity itself as a form of home-making. We're offering a range of activities so that everyone and anyone can step into the Citizens Theatre, try something new, take themselves on a journey and feel that this space belongs to them." From August 28 to September 5, the Homecoming Festival continues with guided tours, taster workshops, and special events. Then, on September 12, live performance makes a return with Small Acts of Love, a new play by Frances Poet, featuring music by Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross. READ MORE: Heritage groups join forces to save rundown studio owned by former renowned designer October will see the opening of a new 150-seat Studio Theatre with productions by the theatre's community groups, including Close by the Young Co and Making Your Mark by the Citz Community Collective. Executive director Kate Denby added: "The Citz has always been a theatre for the people of Glasgow – this Homecoming year invites everyone to be part of our next chapter." A host of funders, including the National Lottery Heritage Fund, the Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council, supported the Citizens Theatre's redevelopment. For full event details, visit
Scottish Sun
21 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Exact date iconic Glasgow venue to reopen after major £30million revamp
Read on to find out when the venue will reopen IN THE LIMELIGHT Exact date iconic Glasgow venue to reopen after major £30million revamp AN iconic Glasgow venue is set to reopen next month following a major £30million revamp. The Citizens Theatre in the Gorbals previously closed in 2018 for a refurbishment, and work was originally planned to take three years. Advertisement 4 The Citizens Theatre is set to reopen next month after seven years Credit: John Gunion 4 The old theatre has undergone a huge £30million revamp Credit: Getty But the project faced a series of setbacks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The major revamp of the building, which first opened its doors in 1878, was planned due to it falling into disrepair. Bosses said it was no longer fit for purpose and wanted to regenerate it for the 21st century, while keeping its unique Victoria charm. The theatre will boast a new foyer, improved accessibility, a new 150-seater multi-purpose studio theatre. Advertisement There will also be a new bar area and social spaces, with enhanced backstage facilities for performers. And on August 23, a community-led parade will officially mark the reopening of the theatre after seven years, The Glasgow Times reports. Everyone is invited to a weekend of free creative workshops, events and behind-the-scenes tours on August 23 and 24. Bookable events such as workshops, introductory tours and creative session will be available from August 28 to September 5. Advertisement The first production will be Small Acts of Love from September 12 - a major new work about the bonds formed between families on both sides of the Atlantic in the wake of the Pan Am 103 atrocity in Lockerbie. And in October, the brand new 150-seat Studio Theatre is opened with two productions by the theatre's Participate groups. Oscar-nominated Toni Collette spotted dancing in Glasgow theatre as fans hail 'legend' In addition, the theatre's longstanding commitment to its Gorbals neighbours will continue through a new Gorbals Pass giving access to tickets for just £5 for locals with a G5 postcode. The theatre's Participate director Catrin Evans said: "This homecoming is inspired by our fantastic new building that we know so many people are keen to get inside - but it's also about so much more. Advertisement "It's about reconnecting with our neighbours, welcoming new voices and celebrating creativity itself as a form of community-building. "We're offering a range of activities so that everyone and anyone can step into the Citizens Theatre, try something new, take themselves on a journey and feel that this space belongs to them. "Whether it's your first time through the doors or you've been part of the Citz story for years, we can't wait to welcome you home." Advertisement We previously told how there will be a number of road closures around the venue as it prepares to reopen to the public. As the historic venue gets ready to welcome back audiences, Glasgow City Council has announced several streets will be shut. The road closures will take place between August 22 and 23. Gorbals Street will be shut between Ballater Street and Cumberland Street from 3pm on August 22 until 3.30pm on August 23. Advertisement During these hours waiting, loading and unloading will be prohibited. On August 23, traffic will not be allowed to flow along Gorbals Street between Ballater Street and Cumberland Street from 9am until 3.30pm. Cleland Street and Cleland Lane will also be closed to vehicles during these hours. 4 The major revamp of the building, which first opened its doors in 1878, was planned due to it falling into disrepair Credit: Alamy Advertisement
Scotsman
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Scotsman
Opening date announced for Glasgow's Citizens Theatre after seven year closure
The theatre has been closed since 2018 Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... A community-led procession through the Gorbals will next month officially reopen Glasgow's Citizens Theatre after a seven-year closure. An official opening date of 23 August has now been set for the long-shuttered venue, with a planned programme of events dubbed the theatre's Homecoming celebrations. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Leading the procession are two striking, specially crafted puppets – Comedy and Tragedy – inspired by the Greek goddesses Melpomene and Thalia, before a community-made banner is unveiled at the theatre, celebrating the many voices, cultures, and stories that shape the theatre's home. The theatre will then remain open for a full weekend of free celebratory activities, followed by ten days of bookable workshops and special events. The theatre has undergone a transformational, multi-million pound refurbishment since 2018, the first since the category B-listed building began life as a working theatre in 1878. Initially slated for reopening in 2021, the project was delayed by the pandemic and complications with the renovation. Final costs are believed to be more than £30 million, with the Scottish Government forced to step in at the end of last year to plug an £8m funding shortfall which MSPs warned could put the theatre's future at risk. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The Citizens Theatre is set to re-open in August following a seven-year refurbishment In September, Small Acts of Love, a collaboration by playwright Frances Poet and composer Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue focusing on bonds formed by the Lockerbie bombing, will be the first play performed to an audience since the refurbishment. In October, the new 150-seat Studio Theatre is opened with two productions devised and presented by the theatre's Participate groups – Close by the Young Co, which opens on 8 October, and Making Your Mark by the Citz Community Collective, which opens on 22 October. Catrin Evans, participate director, Citizens Theatre, said: 'This Homecoming is inspired by our fantastic new building that we know so many people are keen to get inside - but it's also about so much more. It's about reconnecting with our neighbours, welcoming new voices, and celebrating creativity itself as a form of community-building. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'We're offering a range of activities so that everyone and anyone can step into the Citizens Theatre, try something new, take themselves on a journey and feel that this space belongs to them. Whether it's your first time through the doors or you've been part of the Citz story for years, we can't wait to welcome you home.' An additional 200 seats have been installed in the main auditorium, taking the total capacity to 650, both by expanding the stalls area, which has seen its central aisle removed and by replacing bench seating in the upper dress circle - which was rarely previously used due to a poor sight line to the stage - with full, banked seating. The building's accessibility has also been improved, along with the creation of a new foyer area. Kate Denby, executive director of Citizens Theatre, said: 'The reopening of the Citizens Theatre marks a hugely significant moment – not just for the building, but for everyone who holds this theatre close to their heart. This Homecoming year is a celebration of creativity, community, and connection. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Streets near Glasgow city centre to close next month for reopening of iconic venue
The programme centres around the reopening of the iconic Citizens Theatre ROAD DRAMA Streets near Glasgow city centre to close next month for reopening of iconic venue Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) STREETS in a busy spot near Glasgow city centre are set to be closed in the coming days. A series of homecoming events will be held in the Gorbals next month. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 2 The Citizens Theatre will reopen next month after a major upgrade Credit: John Gunion The programme centres around the reopening of the iconic Citizens Theatre. As the historic venue prepares to welcome back audiences, Glasgow City Council has announced several streets will be shut. The road closures will take place between August 22 and 23. Gorbals Street will be shut between Ballater Street and Cumberland Street from 3pm on August 22 until 3.30pm on August 23. During these hours waiting, loading and unloading will be prohibited. On August 23, traffic will not be allowed to flow along Gorbals Street between Ballater Street and Cumberland Street from 9am until 3.30pm. Cleland Street and Cleland Lane will also be closed to vehicles during these hours. The Citizens Theatre closed in 2018 for a major refurbishment. The work was originally planned to take three years. But the project faced a series of setbacks due to the Covid-19 pandemic. All UK car dealerships will STOP selling 10,000s of iconic brand's used models impacted by lethal airbag flaw The major revamp of the building, which first opened its doors in 1878, was planned due to it falling into disrepair. Bosses said it was no longer fit for purpose and wanted to regenerate it for the 21st century, while keeping its unique Victoria charm. The theatre will boast a new foyer, improved accessibility, a new 150-seater multi-purpose studio theatre. There will also be a new bar area and social spaces, with enhanced backstage facilities for performers.
The Herald Scotland
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Herald Scotland
The Scottish serial killer inspiring 'electrifying' new play
It has commissioned an adaptation of a book by best-selling crime writer Denise Mina, which 'reimagines' a night Manuel spent in Glasgow with William Watt, who had spent 67 days behind bars while under suspicion for the murders of three members of his family. Read more: The 'electrifying' script by Glasgow-based playwright Linda McLean is described as 'equal parts psychological thriller and pitch-black comedy". McLean's previously plays include Glory on Earth, which imagined a series of encounters between Mary Queen of Scots and John Knox. Her new stage play will be premiered at the Citz in June, nine years after the publication of Mina's book, the author's first 'true crime' novel. It was based on the extraordinary events which unfolded after the Burnside home of former Watt, a former police officer, was broken into in September 1956 while he was on a fishing holiday in Argyll, and his wife, his daughter and his sister-in-law were shot in their beds. Crime writer Denise Mina's book on Peter Manuel, The Long Drop, is being turned into a new play which will be premiered at the revamped Citizens Theatre in Glasgow next year. Watt, who had admitted to the police that he had been unfaithful to his wife, became the prime suspect, but was released from Barlinnie prison after 67 days when the case against him collapsed due to a lack of evidence. Manuel, who was sent to Barlinnie weeks after Watt for an attempted break-in, had sought the other man out and told him that he knew who was responsible for the Burnside murders. Crowds gather for the trial of Peter Manuel in Glasgow in 1958. (Image: The Herald) To try to clear his name, Watt hired the celebrated defence lawyer Lawrence Dowdall, who carried out his own painstaking investigation and met Manuel on several occasions. He became convinced that Manuel was responsible, not least because he was able to give the lawyer detailed descriptions of the Watt house and the shootings. Denise Mina's Peter Manuel book, The Last Novel, is being adapted into a new stage play. Manuel eventually met Watt in person the following December in the cocktail bar of Glasgow's city centre restaurant Whitehall's in Renfield Street before they spent hours together around the city, including the Gorbals area, where the Citz is based. Mina's book mixes scenes from the time they are said to have spent together with the trial at the High Court in Glasgow in May 1958. Peter Manuel was convicted of seven murders in May 1958. Manuel withdrew a confession to the police, conducted his own defence and even called Watt as one of his witnesses. However he was eventually convicted of carrying out seven murders in Glasgow and Lanarkshire between 1956 and 1958. Manuel was the second last prisoner at Barlinnie to be executed, on July 11, 1958. The Citizens Theatre, which will officially reopen in September, will premiere The Last Drop in June 2026. (Image: Supplied) McLean told The Herald: 'When you look at photographs of Peter Manuel, he was quite a handsome young man. There was a whole mystique about him at the time. "It was absolutely fascinating that he decided to become his own defence. He turned into a different Peter Manuel. He is a gift for an actor to play. "The fascination for me in doing this play is that my mother was a teenager in Glasgow when Peter Manuel was on the loose. He absolutely terrorised ordinary people. "Denise has given me carte blanche to adapt her book. It has been trimmed down to make it as suspenseful as possible for the stage." The Citz, which has been closed since 2018 for the biggest refurbishment in its history, has already announced that it will officially reopen in September with the premiere of a new stage show inspired by the bonds of friendship which were forged between people in America and Lockerbie since the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in 1988. Other new shows in its 2026 line-up includes a new version of Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, which will feature Citz favourite George Costigan and Matthew Kelly, who will be appearing at the venue for the first time, and the Pulitzer Prize winning play Sweat, which is set in Pennsylvania at the start of the 21st century. Theatre-makers Adura Onashile and Stewart Laing will be collaborating on a new version of the George Bernard Shaw classic Saint Joan, about Joan of Arc, which will be reimagined and set in the 2020s as the world faces growing political unrest and conflict. Advance publicity on The Last Drop, which will run from June 5-20, describes the play as 'a sleek and stylish descent into the heart of a city – and the haunted minds of the men who shape it.' It adds: 'The Long Drop is an electrifying new play – equal parts psychological thriller and pitch-black comedy – based on the real case of notorious killer Peter Manuel. Gritty and gripping, it plunges us into a world of gangsters, gossip, and half-truths told over one too many drinks, leading to one of the most infamous criminal trials in Scottish history.' The theatre's artistic director Dominic Hill, who will direct the adaption of The Long Drop, said: 'I read Denise Mina's The Long Drop during lockdown and was completely gripped by it. "Denise is one of Scotland's finest crime writers – her work is sharp, atmospheric and utterly compelling. I knew straight away it had the potential to be a brilliant piece of theatre. 'I asked the brilliant playwright Linda McLean to adapt it, and she's done so with real flair. 'Set in the gritty underworld of 1950s Glasgow, this is a dark, funny and gripping drama – the kind of bold, character-driven storytelling that feels right at home on the Citz stage.' Mina said: 'As a Glaswegian, the Citz holds a special place in my heart. I'm honoured that The Long Drop is being staged here, in the Gorbals, where so many of the events happened."
