The long-awaited reopening of Glasgow's Citizens Theater will take place in 2025, with new artistic leadership across the venue including Hollywood star Alan Cumming at Pitlochry Festival Theatre, and a renewed determination to champion work beyond London. It will be a turning point in the Scottish theater world.
The Citizens will return to the historic Gorbals House following the first major refurbishment of the Category B listed building since it began operating as a theater in 1878.
After a seven-year hiatus, a new commissioned work, Small Acts of Love, will premiere in September 2025. This collaboration between playwright Francis Poet and composer Ricky Ross, lead singer of the rock band Deacon Blue, examines the bonds of friendship that are forged. What happened between the people of Lockerbie and their American relatives after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 in December 1988.
Artistic director Dominic Hill has announced that Pitlochry's next artistic director, Jemima Rebick of Glasgow's Tron Art Gallery, and Edinburgh's Lyceum Art Gallery, will be in charge of Pitlochry's next artistic director, with momentum building for reopening despite delays and rising costs. James Bring and others said: “This is a really exciting phase.'' ' will be performed at a theater in Scotland.
Speaking after a recent dinner for artistic directors from around the country, Mr Hill said: “I want to make the best work possible and make sure Scottish work is perceived as as exciting as London work.'' , there is real desire and ambition.” ”.
Citizen Theater Company set up its home in 1945 at a prestigious south Glasgow venue with a manifesto of providing live theater to city dwellers and presenting new Scottish and international plays. In its first 21 years, Citizens produced nearly 300 plays, including 72 British and world premieres.
It attracted the talent of writers and actors from across the UK, including Pierce Brosnan, Celia Imrie, Rupert Everett, Sophie Ward and Sam Heughan, and gained a reputation for groundbreaking production. But it also stayed close to its community roots, offering discounts to striking trade union members and subsidizing pantomime tickets for local schoolchildren.
The reopening is expected to revitalize the once-notorious Gorbals, which itself has undergone a major rebirth in recent years.
“We are a theater in the middle of the community,” Hill said. “When we were designing the building, its entire raison d'être was to create a civic space that would be the heart of the community.”
An expanded courtyard foyer welcomes visitors to the new Citizen, while the venue's original sandstone auditorium is encased in a new three-story building that houses a 150-seat studio theater and set construction, costuming and rehearsal space. Contains space for.
The impact of Brexit, the pandemic and the highest escalating inflation since the Ukraine war meant the estimated £20m project cost would double by this summer, despite support from the National Lottery, Scottish Government and Glasgow City Council. A dire warning was issued: The entire project was on the verge of liquidation.
The Scottish Government has stepped in with a further £8m of funding, but the theater, which has raised 92% of its funding, still has £3.5m left in its pocket.
Kate Denby, who joined as chief executive from Northern Stage in October, said a fundraising campaign would be launched soon. “I was struck by how so many people felt a sense of personal ownership over that building. We are now appealing to the people of Glasgow to help us get over the line. I'm asking for it.”
Small Acts is in partnership with the National Theater of Scotland and Mr Hill said one of the lasting outcomes of the pandemic was that the sector had become better at communicating. “There is an economic need for collaboration, but there is also a desire to share the work, make it last, and work together.”
Denbigh said: “Not a week goes by that I don't have a good conversation with people in other theaters in Scotland and the UK. What we're all thinking about is how we can work smarter. Our current financial challenges are 10 Unlike what happened a year ago, we need to constantly innovate and think about “what collaboration is needed now?'' And how can we adapt? ”
There was widespread relief at the £34 million increase in arts funding promised in the Scottish Government's recent Budget, but continuing to limp from one funding source to another is a long-term strategy. It is also recognized that it does not give much room for new writers to develop their ideas and does not give hope to new writers. The security they need to thrive.
Susannah Armitage, co-chair of the Scottish Theater Federation and senior producer of Eden Court in Inverness, is looking forward to next year following the funding announcement and “reopening with a big and ambitious new production”. He said he was there. It's making a really strong statement. ”
