Bennetts Associates reveal long-awaited Glasgow Citizens Theatre redevelopment

Bennetts Associates’ redevelopment of Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre has opened after long Covid-related and other delays. The scheme includes a new street frontage and foyer spaces, and enhancements to accessibility including levelled floors and new circulation routes. Essentially, the redevelopment wraps the much-loved Victorian theatre with new foyer and performance spaces. A lower stage rake and new fly tower will allow the theatre to stage more ambitious productions and welcome a greater range of visiting companies and shows, including those by disabled artists.

New windows give the public behind-the-scenes glimpses into the inner workings of the theatre’s fly tower and historic stage machinery as well as one of the last remaining still operational Victorian paint frames.

Adorning the new facade are six statues that have been Citz fixtures for decades. Portraying the four muses – Melpomene (tragedy), Thalia (comedy), Euterpe (song and poetry) and Terpsichore (dance) as well as Burns and Shakespeare – they date back to when the theatre first opened in 1878. In recent years the statues had been relegated to the foyer to protect them from the elements, but after a thorough restoration by Scottish sculptor David J Mitchell they take pride of place on the new simple black frontage.

The main theatre has improved access and sightlines, and a new air handling system. The new 152-seat studio theatre and participation studio will enable an additional programme of performances by smaller groups. The redevelopment involved demolishing the previous foyer built in 1989.