Glasgow’s Citizens Theatre has today revealed the full cast for Small Acts of Love, the first production to be performed on the theatre’s home stage in more than seven years, when it reopens in September.
Small Acts of Love is a work about the bonds of friendship forged between the people of Lockerbie and the American relatives in the wake of the Pan Am 103 atrocity in December 1988. Commissioned by the Citizens’ artistic director, Dominic Hill, this theatrical and musical collaboration between playwright Frances Poet and composer Ricky Ross of Deacon Blue will premiere on 12 September.
Spanning thirty-six years, Small Acts of Love follows the journey of two communities brought together under extraordinary circumstances. What begins in grief blossoms into connection, as small gestures of kindness grow into lasting bonds of friendship, resilience, and love.
A generation-spanning cast of 14 actors will bring to life the stories of these two communities. From established stars of stage and screen to emerging artists the cast includes Taggart legend Blythe Duff, Hilary MacLean, Simon Donaldson, Ewan Donald, Beth Marshall, Jayne McKenna, Jo Servi, Naomi Stirrat, Mandi Symonds, Lewis Fleming, Barrie Hunter, Robbie Jack, and Citizens’ 2025 Theatre Graduate Actors Nicholas Marshall and Holly Howden-Gilchrist, daughter of two well known Scottish stage and TV actors, River City star Katherine Howden and Gilly Gilchrist.
Hill says, “To be announcing our cast for Small Acts of Love today is an exciting and pivotal moment in our journey home. Ranging from some of the most experienced and well-known actors in Scotland to newly graduated stars of the future, this cast and this production announce the ambition and quality of the new Citizens Theatre. And that quality is matched by the creative team who include Olivier Award winning lighting designer Bruno Poet and designer Tom Piper. With only a few weeks to go until the start of rehearsals, the whole company is preparing to welcome artists and audiences to our fantastic new building for the first time in seven years.”
Featuring an original score by Ross, Small Acts of Love is driven by a brand-new soundtrack performed live on stage by a five-piece roots band. Musical director Gavin Whitworth, Jessica Kerr, Jill O’Sullivan, Cammy Maxwell and Louis Abbott, frontman of Admiral Fallow – collaborate to craft a dynamic score that weaves folk, acoustic, and contemporary textures that illuminate the heart of the story.
The production is set to open the first season of on-stage work at the Citizens Theatre following the highly anticipated completion of redevelopment works on the building. The company originally moved out of its historic Gorbals home in June 2018, as work began on the first major redevelopment of the Category B listed building since it began life as a working theatre in 1878.
Presented in association with the National Theatre of Scotland, Small Acts Of Love runs from 9 September to 4 October.Tickets here.
