Play about Lockerbie-US bonds to launch first season at newly restored theatre

A play about the bonds between Lockerbie residents and relatives of those killed in the Pan-Am 103 atrocity is set to open the first season at a newly restored Glasgow theatre.

The historic Citizens Theatre in the Gorbals, which closed for major redevelopment work in June 2018, will reopen in September 2025 with Small Acts Of Love, a new theatrical and musical collaboration between playwright Frances Poet and Deacon Blue singer Ricky Ross.

Spanning 36 years, the play tells the story of how two communities from the Scottish Borders and New York State were forced together in destruction, but through a series of small acts of kindness found friendship and love.

It includes representations of real people built from an extensive series of interviews with those directly affected by the Lockerbie bombing, both in Scotland and the US.

Poet said: “I don’t think I have written anything before where I have felt such a weight of responsibility to tell people’s stories with authenticity, sensitivity and care.

“The people of Lockerbie poured their trauma into acts of kindness, received with grace and courage by the relatives.

“This is not a piece about the horrific act of violence on that night in December 1988.

“It’s about the 36 years since. It’s about the generosity and resilience humans are capable of.

“I can’t wait to see these inspiring and profound stories brought to life on the Citizens Theatre stage next year.”

The closure of the category B listed Citizens Theatre in 2018 was the first time the building had undergone major redevelopment work since it began as a working theatre in 1872.

In the intervening years the Citizens Theatre has continued to perform across Glasgow and Scotland in venues including car parks, community centres, and a recent eight-month residency in Gorbals primary schools.

Citizens Theatre artistic director Dominic Hill said it “feels right” that Small Acts Of Love is the first play to be performed when the building reopens next year.

“We think it is a story we know, but the play and songs reveal how the people of Lockerbie and the American relatives forged something beautiful from the tragedy of their ordeal,” he said.

“At the Citz, being part of a community is at the heart of what we do. So it feels right that our first production on stage should showcase that humanity and heart.

“It’s been wonderful to develop this commission into a full production and I can’t wait to see it on the main stage of the new Citizens Theatre when we reopen in 2025.

“This is a very exciting moment to be able to announce our first show and look forward to welcoming audiences back next year.”

Ross, who composed the music for the play, which includes 14 actor-singers and a five-piece roots band, said he had been “passionate” about the project since he and Poet sat down to discuss it “over four years ago”.

“It has been a fascinating and incredibly moving experience and I have loved composing the songs and music that interweave with the text,” he said.

“The Citz is my local theatre. I’m delighted to be part of its opening season, and to be able to tell this poignant and heartwarming story on that stage.”

The theatre said a full programme announcement of shows beginning in autumn 2025, alongside information about a reopening festival in August, will be announced in the spring.