Former Citizens Theatre director Giles Havergal dies aged 87

The Citizens Theatre has said it is “deeply saddened” following the death of former artistic director Giles Havergal aged 87.

The passing of the former actor, who presided over the Glasgow venue from 1969 to 2003, was announced on Saturday, the same day the theatre reopened following a £30m refurbishment.

He was described as turning the Citizens Theatre into a “European creative powerhouse”.

Dominic Hill, Artistic Director, said: “I was profoundly sorry to hear about the passing of Giles Havergal, all the more poignant in that it occurred on the same day we reopened the Citizens Theatre after 7 years – a theatre that he worked tirelessly over more than 30 years to make internationally renowned.

“He always took great interest in how the theatre was faring and the work we were presenting, even after leaving Glasgow. I hugely enjoyed our chats over dinner and lapped up his stories as well as his immense wisdom and knowledge.

“We had been in touch earlier in the summer and he was looking forward to coming up to the opening of our first show Small Acts of Love, which he described as ‘the next step in a long journey for me…I first went to the Citz in 1953.’

“I am sorry that he will never see the newly restored theatre but his legacy is hard-wired into the fabric of the building and his name will always be associated with it.”

The historical Glasgow theatre reopened its doors after a £30m transformation on Saturday.

Bosses say the redevelopment has brought the building into the 21st century while carefully preserving its unique Victorian heritage.

The project’s original cost when it began in 2019 was estimated at £20m, but it ended up going through the most extensive refurbishment in its history for £30m after the project was impacted by Covid, structural issues, and skyrocketing costs.

However, bosses described it as a “special moment” for the Gorbals’ community with upgrades including new performance spaces, expanded bar areas, and improved accessibility to ‘bring theatre into the 21st century’.

Small Acts of Love, which will be about the Lockerbie Bombing and the people who washed, ironed, and repaired the belongings of the passengers and crew who died, will debut on September 9.

The production will be the first onstage work at the historic theatre in seven years.