- Heritage Stories
Celebrating 20 years of community theatre
Since 1999, we’ve regularly invited non-professional performers from all walks of life to take to our famous stages and be a part of our story. Over the past two decades we’ve produced 50 community productions, taken part in three international festivals and engaged with hundreds of participants.
As part of our 2019 celebrations, participants past and present joined us at Scotland Street School Museum to mark this special anniversary. It was a brilliant opportunity to get together with those who’ve been involved with our community productions and look back at some of our favourite moments.
We’ve put together a timeline to highlight some of the stories and most memorable performances over the years. Enjoy a walk down memory lane!
1999
The first ever Community Company production took place at the Citizens Theatre. Directed by Guy Hollands, Driving Out A Devil was described by The Herald as ‘remarkable’.
Archives and Special Collections at Glasgow University shared this season listing featuring the show.
2006
The first ever Wicked Christmas was performed in December 2006. The alternative Christmas show became an annual tradition for the Community Company.
Wicked Christmas 3 in 2008
Wicked Christmas 5 in 2010
2007
Ice Cream Dreams was the Community Company’s first main stage production.
Noreen performed in the show, and remembers:
At first I hesitated as I was very shy and didn’t know what I was up against, but then I said I’d give it a go, which I did and I never looked back since, as it was the best experience of my life.
2008
In 2008 They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? was performed by a cast of professional actors and community actors drawn from the Citizens Community Company, Young Co, Govanhill Community Development Trust and Turning Point Scotland.
One of the participants looks back at the experience:
hard to believe it was so long ago. Really formative experiences, that time would have been a lot emptier without them.
They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?, Photo by Tim Morozzo
2011
In February 2011, we teamed up with Scottish Opera to present On the Rim of the World. Participant Kris remembers the rehearsals like yesterday:
never a more welcoming and warm-hearted bunch of folk you will meet.
On the Rim of the World, Photo by Tommy Ga-Ken Wan
In March 2011, the Community Company travelled to Rotterdam to take part in the prestigious International Community Arts Festival.
The Community Company at the International Community Arts Festival. Photo by Kees Deenik.
2012
In 2012 we worked with the Scottish Refugee Council on Here We Stay – a celebration of life, community and music. It brought together people from all across the world including Iran, Afghanistan, Zambia, Uganda and Glasgow.
Our Artistic Director, Dominic Hill, will never forget watching the show in the Circle Studio:
Hearing the stories and songs of refugees seeking a new life in Glasgow was profoundly moving – culminating in the story of Adam Kashmiry, who for the first time stood up and told his story of his flight from Egypt to the Gorbals. An astonishing event.
Adam’s story went on to be adapted into a play in its own right by Frances Poet.
2014
On Common Ground was a major participatory event with Debajehmujig Storytellers, an indigenous theatre group based in Ontario, Canada, as part of the Glasgow 2014 Cultural Programme. It was performed outdoors in the Gorbals Rose Garden. It involved an ensemble of over 100 non-professional actors, singers, musicians and a troupe of volunteers.
Howard Russell was in the audience and remembers the event fondly:
On Common Ground was touching, and the storytelling, music and spectacle a great reflection of our shared values and community across the globe. What I remember most while watching was that everyone involved was beaming, the rain never dampening their spirits. The sense of contentment, companionship, and closeness amongst them all was infectious and inspiring. To this day I wear the wrist band that was my ticket on the day to remind me to aim higher and do what makes me happy.
2016
The Gorbals Vampire was a new play by Johnny McKnight, inspired by extraordinary real-life events which took place in the Gorbals in the 50s. The main stage production included over 50 community performers. As part of the project we also worked with local people, school children and the general public in a range of workshops, exhibitions and creative writing competitions.
The Gorbals Vampire. Photo by Tim Morozzo.
Marketing Manager Keren loved learning more about the local urban legend:
We try really hard at the Citz to be an asset for our local community and somewhere they can be proud of. I loved working on The Gorbals Vampire, meeting some of the original protagonists over 60 years later and bringing them together with young people living in the Gorbals today was such a privilege. It made me love our theatre a little bit more!
2018
A Night to Remember marked the final performance at the Citizens Theatre before the building closed for a major redevelopment. The story took audiences back to the building’s origins for an evening of variety!
A Night To Remember. Photo by Tim Morozzo.
Despite being temporarily out of our Gorbals home, we’re still deeply rooted in our local community. Head of Development, Kirstie Cusick especially enjoyed taking part in the parade with the Community Collective at the Gorbals Fair in the summer of 2019:
We were leading the parade this year and it felt great to be part of it in this way.
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