Review: Small Acts of Love, Glasgow Citizens Theatre | Lockerbie play

Name: Small Acts of Love
Brand: Glasgow Citizens Theatre
Rating: 3 (1 reviews)

Lisa in the theatre
3 hours ago
4 min read

The historic Citizens Theatre in Glasgow reopens this week after more than seven years of major building works. The foyer has been transformed into a modern, open, welcoming space while the heart of the building retains the gorgeous Victorian auditorium. It was such a thrill to walk back through the doors after such a long time away!

The first production to grace the Citizens stage in this new era is Small Acts of Love by playwright Frances Poet and composer Ricky Ross (Deacon Blue). Small Acts of Love is a Citizens Theatre production presented in association with the National Theatre of Scotland, and directed by the Citz Artistic Director Dominic Hill.

Small Acts of Love ★★★☆☆

Review: 12 September 2025, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow

There are many books, documentaries and dramas about the 1988 Lockerbie air disaster that examine the technical details, the political fallout and the enduring questions of who planted the bomb on the airliner and why. But Small Acts of Love, the new play written by Frances Poet with music from Deacon Blue's Ricky Ross, focuses solely on the human side of the tragedy, the people of Lockerbie and the families of the victims who became linked when a terrorist bomb brought down Pan Am Flight 103 on top of the small Scottish town just before Christmas 1988.

Small Acts of Love is crammed with interesting and extraordinary true facts about the Lockerbie disaster. Every detail has been meticulously researched by Frances Poet over a number of years. The play has been created with the consent of the real people whose stories are shared, and it's all handled and presented with noticeable care and empathy.

The story is about the small acts of kindness carried out by the people of Lockerbie in the aftermath of the tragedy that meant so much to the relatives of the victims at a time when they were dealing with overwhelming, unimaginable grief.

Told over a 30 year period, Small Acts of Love looks to these tiny, important details that interject the horrors of the incident. Director Dominic Hill's production treats every story and each act with delicate consideration for the victims. Small Acts of Love deals with a horrifying, delicate topic and tells the stories of real people, real families - many of whom are still alive today - but it's thankfully never sensationalist. It's perfectly judged.

Small Acts of Love Glasgow Citizens Theatre cast. Photo credit: Mihaela Bodlovic — Small Acts of Love cast. Photo: Mihaela Bodlovic

Small Acts of Love is based on the biggest act of terror ever to have taken place in Great Britain; 270 people died and countless more were injured both physically and mentally when Pan Am Flight 103 was brought down by a bomb over Lockerbie. Act I of the play is relentlessly sombre and a little laboured with so many characters being introduced and rotated. By trying to do justice to so many characters and stories we do loose the deeper development of some of them, and it does become tricky to follow who's who at times.

Act II is where the uplifting stories and the heart-warming bonds between the Lockerbie residents and victim's families really shine. Act II has more energy and more humour, and rallies to lift the production to a satisfying, uplifting conclusion.

Small Acts of Love is beautifully staged. Bruno Poet's lighting is a highlight throughout, the Citizens Theatre's deep stage bathed in bright, brilliant tones. The original songs by Ricky Ross are lovely and fit perfectly with the tone of the production. Played by a live band seated on a raised platform at the back of the stage, the music beautifully enhances the storytelling.

The production is at its strongest when the ensemble company sing in harmony, their soaring voices powerful and sincere.

In a cast full of incredible talent, there are extraordinary individual performances too. The inimitable Blythe Duff commands the stage, captivating with her every word. Rising star Holly Howden Gilchrist delivers a standout performance (again) with each of her characters memorable and wonderfully realised. The brilliant Beth Marshall's Margaret and Robert Jack's Father Keegan traverse all timelines and provide strong, welcome central figures to pivot key stories around.

This ambitious new play has a solid foundation and an inspiring concept: In the darkest of moments, the people of Lockerbie protected and respected the families of the victims, whether friends and neighbours from their own town, or strangers from across the Atlantic in America or elsewhere in the world.

Small Acts of Love puts names to the victims of the Lockerbie disaster and reminds us all of the importance of talking about and celebrating the lives of our dead loved ones. It's impossible not to be moved by power of human kindness. This play is a powerful reminder of the impact that the smallest, thoughtful details can make. Take tissues. ★★★☆☆