Citizens Theatre, Glasgow
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THE SCOTSMAN Wednesday 27 January 2021 SCOTSMAN.COM @THESCOTSMAN 3 Citizens Theatre statues returned to former glory before journey to Glasgow venue's new rooftop dance from Greek mythology with a number of adjacent By BRIAN FERGUSON - during the redevelopment, tenements, by developer John which began in 2019. Morrison. They have been inextricably Several features have been Originally created by Glas linked with one of Scotland's re-made by Glasgow sculp gow sculptor John Mossman, best-known theatres for near tor David Mitchell and his the statues used to sit on top of ly 150 years, surviving the team, using photographs columns on the shared front threat of fire, demolition and of the sculptures, which age of the twovenues. Butthey pollution, and the impact of date back to 1878 when the were almost lost forever after a Glasgow's climate. then Her Majesty's Theatre devastating fire in 1973. Now the Citizens Theatre's opened. Although the tenements celebrated statues have been Now the statues, which and the Palace building were finally returned to their for have had a specialist coating knocked down, the Citizens mer glory ahead of being to protect them from future was saved from demolition returning to the roof of the weather-related damage, are and the statues were put into Victorian venue as part of an planned to become a "dra storage by the council. ongoing £20 million makeo matic new focal point" for When the Citizens under ver. the Gorbals area when the went a major redevelopment Painstaking repair and resto are installed on the roof of in the 1980s, they were given ration work has been carried the new-look Citizens. a home inside its new foyer, outon the works of art-which The theatre and the next where they remained for the depict Robert Burns, William door Grand National Halls, next 30 years. Shakespeare and the muses of which later became the Pal Robert Carlyle, Alan Cum music, comedy, tragedy and ace Theatre were built, along ming and Robbie Coltrane are among the stars to have per by the staff, but others were Repair and restoration formed at the Citizens, which completely lost. work has been carried out boasts the UK's most com "Other parts were bro on the works of art - which plete working Victorian thea ken but still hanging on that ' depict Robert Burns, William tre machinery. would need to be securely Shakespeare and the muses Head of production Graham fixed. There was also damage of music, comedy, tragedy and Sutherland said: "The statues and gaps that had been crude dance from Greek mythology had suffered all sorts of dam ly filled with an inappropri age that needed to be reme ate mortar that would need "It was my desire to have died. to be gently raggled out and them returned, as much as "When they were previously repaired. possible, to the state the artist on the outside, they'd suffered "Other statues had bits that had originally intended. As a from pollution and weather had gone missing completely, sculptor and a Glaswegian, I ing. They'd also been coated but that we had photographic felt that it was my duty to pay in white paint when they were records of." homage to the original sculp out there that was now flak Mr Mitchell said: "The stat tor, John Mossman, one of the ing off, but had eaten into and ues were in very poor condi greatest artists that Glasgow damaged the surface of the tion and needed some tender has ever produced, and save sandstone. love and care. Bits were miss his work for future genera "Various bits of stonework ing, features were crumbling tions." l!ad been broken off, some of and they were quite literally which had been diligently kept being held togetherwith paint. [email protected] .