Curtain Up on the Past: Glasgow’s Theatrical Heritage

As we approach Christmas many people will be going to a theatre to take in a panto, Glasgow has a long history of theatre, here are a few, past and present.

One of city’s best-known theatres was the Glasgow Empire in Sauchiehall Street, opened in 1897 as part of the Moss chain. It attracted acts from all over Britain and the USA. Some of the 20th century greats appeared at the Empire such as Frank Sinatra, Bob Hope, Dorothy Lamour, Judy Garland and Danny Kaye. It became known as the graveyard of English comedians as Glasgow audiences could be notoriously difficult to please, Des O’Connor once feigned illness to make his way off stage. The last night of the Empire was in March 1963 with a bill headed by the Red Army, however the last song to be performed on the Empire stage was ‘Champion the Wonder Horse’ courtesy of a demolition worker entertaining workmates one lunchtime.

Built in 1904 on the site of an Episcopal Church, the King’s Theatre with its ornate interior (once described as being like the inside of a wedding cake) has seating for around 1800 patrons and has hosted opera, touring plays, musicals, variety shows and pantomimes, which have been shown every festive season since 1971 starring the cream of Scottish talent which has included Rikki Fulton, Jimmy Logan, Elaine C Smith, Stanley Baxter and Gerard Kelly. This year’s panto offering is ‘The Little Mermaid’.

Also built in 1904 was the Pavilion Theatre as a music hall at Renfield Street complete with a sliding roof to vent smoke from pipes and cigarettes out the auditorium. Some famous names have trod the boards here, Will Fyfe first sang ‘I Belong to Glasgow’ on stage at the Pavilion, Harry Houdini performed his escapism act and an unknown Charlie Chaplin once appeared with a troupe known as ‘Eight Lancashire Lads’. The popular stage comedy ‘Mrs Brown’s Boys’ was a regular visitor to the theatre before transitioning on to television. The Pavilion has been staging pantos from the 1920s, on offer this year is ‘Jock and the Beanstalk’.

The now gone Alhambra Theatre at Wellington Street had seating for 2400 patrons and was the best equipped theatre outside of London when it opened in 1910. It became perhaps best known for its ‘Five Past Eight Shows’ starring Rikki Fulton and Jack Milroy. Closed in 1969 with Cilla Black headlining.

South of the river in the Gorbals is the Citizens Theatre founded in 1943 by playwright James Bridie in the former Her Majesty’s Theatre, built in 1878. The ‘Citz’ was an outlet for Scottish talent and beyond, with many well-known actors appearing there early in their careers, including David Hayman, Robbie Coltrane, Fulton Mackay, Glenda Jackson and Pierce Brosnan. It always endeavoured to make theatre affordable to working class people with 50p admission tickets and a touring van putting on community shows.

It recently reopened after a seven-year refurbishment with ‘Beauty and the Beast’ as

this year’s panto offering.

Thanks to Peter Mortimer for the article and Norrie McNamee for the images.