Citizens Theatre Counts Down To Homecoming With First Projects Announced

The Citizens Theatre will invite its Gorbals neighbours and the wider Glasgow community to get involved in its opening celebrations as one of the city's most treasured cultural venues prepares to reopen its doors later this year. Today, audiences are given a first glimpse of the activity that will welcome them back.  Tickets to the first stage productions will go on sale at the end of March. 

As redevelopment works on site at the iconic theatre move into their final phase, Glasgow locals will be among the first people invited to come and experience the building afresh. They will be invited to cross the threshold as part of a homecoming festival in late summer that will see the Citz burst into life again with readings, sharings, exhibitions, tours and workshops celebrating the theatre's past, present, and future.

The celebrations will kick off an opening season which sees community sitting at the heart of the activities, as creative life returns to all corners of the building for the first time in seven years. In that time period, the Citizens Theatre has continued to present shows on stages across the city and on tour, and its participation work with individuals and communities has never stopped. It has also commissioned and developed new work with over ten different writers, three of which are featured in the opening programme of work.

The first production on the mainstage will be Small Acts of Love, 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. Commissioned by the Citizens Theatre, and presented in association with the National Theatre of Scotland, the new theatrical and musical collaboration between playwright Frances Poet and composer Ricky Ross (Deacon Blue) has been painstakingly researched and developed with support from families and communities who were directly affected. This story of love, friendship, and community will be brought to life by a large ensemble cast and band and will premiere in September 2025.

Further main-stage productions in the Autumn will include Douglas Maxwell's brilliant Glasgow-set comedy So Young, exploring mid-life meltdowns, grief and love with hilarious situational humour. Co-commissioned by the Citz, Raw Material and the Traverse Theatre, it premiered at the 2024 Edinburgh Festival Fringe to award-winning acclaim. It will now be presented to Glasgow audiences for the first time. So Young is a Raw Material and Traverse Theatre production in association with the Citizens Theatre.

An ambitious new production of the seminal Tennessee Williams drama The Glass Menagerie, presented by Dundee Rep Theatre in association with the Citizens Theatre, will also visit in the autumn.

Towards the end of the year, audiences can look forward to the return of the much-loved Citz Christmas show, with a new, specially commissioned festive production of Beauty and the Beast. Written by Lewis Hetherington, this flamboyant, funny, and heartwarming take on the classic fairytale will delight audiences of all ages. Meanwhile, the new Studio Theatre will host The Gift, for younger visitors aged 18months – 5 years, as part of the festive programme.  Winner of a CATS award for Best Show for Children and Young People, this show by Barrowland Ballet explores the true joy that can come from the imagination and will visit Glasgow for the first time.

The transformational redevelopment of the Citzens Theatre, the first since the Category B-listed building began life as a working theatre in 1878, has brought the building into the 21st century while carefully preserving its unique Victorian heritage. From the iconic auditorium and stagehouse to the historic under stage machinery and working paint frame, (one of the last of its kind in the UK), the design of the building by Bennetts Associates has opened up public access to the building's heritage.

Now audiences and artists will be able to benefit from resources including new accessible rehearsal, participation, and studio spaces, supporting expanded activities for communities and offering Scotland's rich ecology of theatre companies new spaces to rehearse and perform in.

This includes a newly designed 150-seat Studio Theatre, which sits at the heart of the building and will be officially opened by two of the theatre's Participate groups later this year, when the Young Co. and the Community Collective present new pieces of work entitled The Close and Game On.

A new and expanded Participate programme will be launched in the coming months, offering a range of opportunities to build connections and nurture the creativity and skills of theatre-makers from all communities, especially those traditionally marginalised - underlining the inclusive spirit that will make the theatre a valuable creative hub for the whole city. Accessibility and affordability have been central to the theatre's plans for reopening. Ensuring there are ticket prices for all pockets is a key part of those plans.

Launching a brand-new membership scheme, annual Theatre Pass holders will save the more they visit. For an annual £30 fee (just £2.50/month), audiences can be first in line for tickets with priority booking as well as enjoy discounts and 2for1 offers. Moreover, early booking bargain-hunters can snap up tickets for less than £20 through the theatre's new ‘Lucky Dip' promotion that discounts top price tickets by 50%.

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.

Additional low-priced offers will also be available for under 30's, those on low income and those with access requirements. 

Available across all seats and performances if booked in advance, memberships only require a straightforward sign-up process to access the discounts.

Tickets for the first productions will go on sale to audiences at the end of March. Full details can be found at citz.co.uk

Dominic Hill, Artistic Director, Citizens Theatre said: "This is a very special moment as we start to unveil an exciting programme of shows and opportunities in the new theatre – for the first time in seven years. The first few months of programming reflects our commitment to both innovation and tradition, with more to be announced over the coming months. While the Citz has always celebrated the great works of drama from the past, the new theatre must look forward too and we've been working hard to develop new plays that showcase the talent of writers and artists working in Scotland. These new works embody the spirit of what this theatre has always stood for—creativity, community, and a deep connection to the city of Glasgow. I can't wait for audiences old and new, local and global, to experience these brilliant productions in a transformed Citizens Theatre, that will inspire audiences and great storytelling.”

Catrin Evans, Participate Director, Citizens Theatre, said: “The reopening of the theatre is about offering a place of possibility and inspiring artistic expression for all. Our Participate programme has always been at the heart of the Citizens Theatre, and the new spaces and programme we can offer for creative engagement are a testament to that commitment. Our community groups now sit proudly at the centre of the building, integrated into the very heartbeat of the theatre. Through our core participatory groups as well as exciting new initiatives, we are ensuring that our high-quality performance projects are underpinned by accessibility. Our homecoming celebrations will mark a pivotal moment as we continue to strive to build a vibrant, inclusive Citizens Theatre community that truly reflects contemporary Glasgow."

Hannah Armitage, Senior Associate, Bennetts Associates, said:

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