CIVIC: A riotous stomp through the stories of Plymouth, its people and the Civic Centre.

About us

CIVIC presents an imperfect history of Plymouth: the Civic Centre from 1961 to now, showcasing a mix of dance, new writing, old film footage and stories from people like you.

The Civic Building - a final piece of the grand Abercrombie rebuild of Plymouth; aperfect community symbol for a new and thriving city. 

Now the building stands empty and broken..is the dream of a 21st century Civic City empty and broken too? If not..what should it look like? How should it be? What if we could decide?

"I worked on the 14th floor. The building would sway; it was designed to flex in stormy conditions..aren't we all!!"

Meet Sylvia. A veteran Tea-Trolley lady from the glory days of the old Civic Centre and she has stories to share, snacks and drinks to sell and a cactus to tend to.

CIVIC is a dance theatre collaboration between the people of Plymouth, the Barbican Theatre  creative team and writer Neil Haigh. This is a brilliant mix of local performers, community groups and guest choreographers. From waltzes and fine dining to queuing and protest, be ready to stomp through scenes and stories as a Civic honorary member and watch this unique production up close.

Where & When:
Thursday 20 Feb 7.30pm, Friday 21 Feb 3pm & 7pm, and Saturday 22 Feb  7.30pm

Tickets:
Concessions £6 (under 16s, over 60-s, registered disabled, students)
Full £8
Group of 4 £20(add 4 full tickets to your basket and the discount will be automatically calculated at checkout - save up to £12!)

Venue: Melville Building, Royal William Yard, Devonport, Plymouth.
The exact location of the meeting point and box office for you as honorary VIP Civic members will be emailed to you a week before the show. Stewards will be in high vis around Royal William Yard before the show. Head towards Ocean Studios in the centre of Royal William Yard.
You can arrive from 6:30pm for a 7:30pm show
You can arrive from 2pm for the 3pm show (Friday)

What should I expect? 
The show will be a promenade (no seating) performance through the bottom floor of the Melville building in Royal William Yard. Be prepared to move through scenes,  queue for a voucher, join the protest  or dine in the 'roof top restaurant'.The entire experience is undercover and on one level, suitable access for all (please see below for additional assistance for those with mobility issues)

Running time:
The show will last approximately 1 hour 15 minutes with no interval.There will be places available to get refreshments before and after the experience.

What should I bring/wear?
You are invited as guests of the Civic Centre to visit one last time (even though this is not performed at the Civic Centre - you're also invited to bring your imagination!) A walk back through your heyday. Please wear clothing to match your favourite decade for this most memorable occasion. Here are some suggestions
- 60s fine dining in the civic centre restaurant
- 70s office workers
- 80s double denim / labourers
- 90s time to dance
- 00's celebration of who you are.

There will not be a cloak room available so please 'pack lightly' and wear shoes you can bear to walk in for over an hour minutes! Perhaps leave those shiny stilettos from the 80's at home this year!

Accessibility
If you are in a wheelchair or require mobility / additional assistance please contact our House Manager on info@barbicantheatre.co.uk or call 01752 267131 and they can discuss ways in which we can assist you to ensure your experience is enjoyable and comfortable.