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A production image. A man sits in a living room set and gestures dramatically to the right.
News & Stories
a large crane is pictured lifting a large metal structure into the air. The sky is blue with clouds.
  • Building Redevelopment

Citizens Theatre redevelopment: our new fly tower

One of the biggest milestones in our building redevelopment, was the installation of our new fly tower in January 2022.

A fly tower is used to hang pieces of scenery and cloths on stage that are flown in and out during a show, creating some of the most dramatic moments in a production. Flying scenery is so important in a theatre show that we even have a job specifically dedicated to it – a flyperson. 

Our old flying system was in desperate need of modernisation. Lots of modern shows tend to have bigger, heavier scenery and visiting companies would have to compromise on what they could put on our stage due to the limitations of the old system. 

It was thrilling to watch as the new fly tower was placed on top of the historic wooden beams, drums and shafts of the old building, expanding what we can do while still maintaining the historic features of our iconic home. 

Installing the enormous structure was one of the most technically complex pieces of work as part of the Redevelopment project. It involved a 500-tonne crane lifting a very large 70 tonne structure into place!  

Two men in warm jackets and hats are standing next to each other. Thy are looking at something off camera. In the background are other people warm clothing, high visibility vests and hard hats. One man in the background is being filmed by a camera crew

Installation of the new Fly Tower.

Tommy Ga-Ken Wan was on site to capture some photographs of the fly tower being lifted onto the Citizens Theatre.
a large yellow and black crane is pictured lifting a large metal structure into the air. The sky is grey. In front of the crane are people in warm clothes, high visibility vests and hard hats
a large crane is pictured lifting a large metal structure into the air. The sky is blue with clouds. Two people in high visibility vests and hard hats are looking at the construction site.
a large crane is pictured lifting a large metal structure into the air. The sky is blue with clouds.
a large crane is pictured lifting a large metal structure into the air. The sky is blue with clouds.
a large crane is pictured lifting a large metal structure into the air. The sky is blue with clouds.
Two men in warm jackets and hats are standing next to each other. In front of them is a construction site with a large crane.
Two men in warm jackets and hats are standing next to each other. They are looking at something off camera. In the background are other people warm clothing, high visibility vests and hard hats. One man in the background is being filmed by a camera crew

Urbancroft Films captured this significant day on site.

Watch the short film to hear from Dominic Hill (Artistic Director) and Graham Sutherland (Head of Production and Client Representative).

The new, modern fly tower opens exciting opportunities for what we can achieve with future productions – including being able to:  

  • Fly more scenery overhead and use the full depth of the stage 
  • Increase the scale and weight of the biggest scenic pieces we can use on stage. This gives us even more artistic scope for our own productions and allows us to welcome the most ambitious touring theatre companies to host their productions on our stage. 
  • Complete get-ins, fit-ups and get-outs quicker so we can produce and host more shows each year. 

The new structure also considerably improves the conditions for our talented production staff who will no longer have to crawl on hands and knees to install pieces of scenery! 

The fly tower is now the highest point of the building, with a 13.8m drop down to the stage and is visible across the city.  

a large yellow and black crane is pictured lifting a large metal structure into the air. The sky is grey. In front of the crane are people in warm clothes, high visibility vests and hard hats
A large yellow and black crane is pictured against a blue sky with white clouds. The crane is lifting a large metal structure made up of scaffolding

We are committed to ensuring that the Citz is a place where everyone can play a part. But we can’t do it without your support. It’s your generosity that ensures we can present inspirational live theatre alongside a pioneering programme of community work, creating unique cultural experiences that bring lasting benefit to everyone involved. 

Make a donation

A donation to our Theatre Redevelopment is the best way to support the Citizens Theatre.  Your donation will ensure that communities across Glasgow and Scotland can enjoy the magic of theatre in a building that is truly accessible to all. 

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Select an amount to donate
Architect's rendering of the new redeveloped exterior of the Citizens Theatre. The building features a new facade with black cladding, neon pink lettering, and a row of statues on the roof.

Explore the redevelopment

Our statues part 3 - from restoration to glorious return
A statue being lowered onto the roof of the Citizens Theatre via a crane.
  • Building Redevelopment

Our statues part 3 - from restoration to glorious return

Citizens Theatre redevelopment: auditorium foundations
Building work in the Citizens Theatre auditorium. Concrete has now been poured for new foundations
  • Building Redevelopment

Citizens Theatre redevelopment: auditorium foundations

Our statues part 2 - the restoration
a man in a navy jumper and jeans is crouched beside a statue. He has a long thin paintbrush and is painting the statue with gold paint
  • Building Redevelopment

Our statues part 2 - the restoration