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!  

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.  

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.