Citizens' Theatre

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The Citizens' Theatre is located in Glasgow, Scotland.

1 History
2 Current Citizens
3 Location
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] History

It is a theatre that belonged to the people of Glasgow, separate and distinct from the London repertory companies, and one made accessible and affordable to all audiences. The 1909 Manifesto of the Glasgow Repertory Theatre expressed these tenets: "The Repertory Theatre is Glasgow's own theatre. It is a citizens' theatre in the fullest sense of the term. Established to make Glasgow independent from London for its dramatic supplies, it produces plays which the Glasgow playgoers would otherwise not have the opportunity of seeing."

Such were the tenets that inspired James Bridie's vision when he led the efforts to found his repertory group, the Citizens' Company, in 1943. Bridie (born Osborne Henry Mavor) was a well-known and leading Scottish dramatist at the time, and is now considered to be a founding father of modern Scottish theatre following his involvement with both the establishment of the Citizens' Theatre, and the founding of Scotland's first college of drama, now known as the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.

Originally based in the Athenaeum theatre (now the Old Athenaeum), Bridie's Citizens' Company relocated to the Victorian-era Royal Princess's Theatre in the Gorbals in 1945. The theatre was renamed the Citizens' Theatre and the Citizens' Company opened there on September 11, 1945.

During the long period from the 1970s to the 1990s, the Citizens was associated with innovative play selections and stagings by Giles Havergal, Philip Prowse and Robert David MacDonald. Their internationalist approach was some distance from the original vision of a national theatre but did meet the access aspirations of the 1909 Manifesto, not least in a commitment to low pricing. There was also an associated studio theatre, The Close Theatre, until it was damaged by fire in 1973.

[edit] Current Citizens

While the Citizens' Theatre building retains some of the original Victorian architectural features, it has undergone additional renovations and expansions over the years, and now includes the 600-seat Citizens' Theatre, and two studio theatres, the Circle Studio (120 seats) and the Stalls Studio (60 seats.)

In the spirit of the founders' vision to keep the Citizens' Theatre accessible to the citizens themselves, the theatre company was able, for over thirty years, to keep ticket prices low, and provide free previews of every show and free programs for every audience member. While no longer able to do this, the theatre endeavors to keep tickets reasonably priced. In addition, the theatre schedules a "Pay What You Can" preview of every production.

Currently under the artistic direction of Jeremy Raison, the company continues to stage productions based upon its repertoire of British and foreign classics at the Citizens' Theatre and in traveling productions around the world.

Jeremy Raison has had some extremely successful productions; notablty the Love will Tear us apart Spring 2006 season, featuring Iain Robertson in Romeo & Juliet and Lorcas Blood Wedding.