Citizens Theatre shut for major refurbishment

● £19m plan for essential revamp ● Its work will go on elsewhere

A theatre company is to move out of its historic Glasgow home for two years while it undergoes a £19.4 million redevelopment.

The Citizens Theatre Company will temporarily leave its Victorian base in the Gorbals in the summer to allow builders to carry out essential building works.

The 139-year-old B-listed property, leased from Glasgow City Council, will close to allow builders to move on site and transform its theatre into a building which is fit for purpose.

The theatre will re-open to the public in autumn 2020 after the new building, designed by Bennetts Associates, is completed.

Theatre chiefs say audiences will still be able to attend Citizens Theatre Company’s productions and see its education and community work at

0 An artist’s impression of how the Citizens Theatre will look after its near £20m refurbishment which is scheduled to take two years Tramway and Scotland Street School Museum.

During the closure period, the company will continue to collaborate with other Glasgow venues and take its work further afield across Scotland. Dominic Hill, artistic director of the Citizens Theatre, said: “The Citizens Theatre building is about to embark on the biggest changes to its physical structure in its 139-year history.

“This latest stage in our £19.4m redevelopment project presents an exciting opportunity for a number of key landmark cultural organisations to work together in Glasgow.

“Our shared history of innovation and creativity makes it a great opportunity to collaborate with them. We hope our audiences and participants will find our offer thrilling and appealing, as they follow us on our journey, as we temporarily move out of the theatre and present an exciting programme of work from different venues across the city.”

Known locally as The Citz, it opened as His Majesty’s Theatre in 1878 and was also known as the Royal Princesses Theatre until the building was leased to James Bridie’s Citizens Theatre Company in 1945.

The theatre retains many of its Victorian architectural features and is the only theatre in Scotland still to have its original machinery under the stage.

The first Citizens show to be produced at Tramway will open in September 2018 and the Citizens Learning team will run a range of activities from Scotland Street School Museum where its administrative team will be based.

Production facilities will move across the road from the theatre into the former Skills Academy building in Laurieston.

Councillor David Mcdonald, depute leader of Glasgow City Council and chairman of Glasgow Life, said: “The Citizens Theatre is rooted in the local community and it is absolutely fitting that while the venue is being refurbished, its ambitious programme of live theatre, creativity and learning, will continue across our venues, inspiring audiences.”