Highs and lows of Glasgow's beloved Pavilion as theatre celebrates anniversary

Glasgow’s new music hall had a ‘grand opening’ on February 29, 1904, and it was the talk of the steamie.

Regarded as luxurious for the time, with ornate décor and elegant finishings, the Pavilion has weathered more than its fair share of storms and is still going strong at the corner of Renfrew and Renfield Streets.

Designed by celebrated London theatre architect Bertie Crewe it was the height of luxury, with salmon-pink terracotta exterior, fancy mosaic floor and staircase and mahogany fittings, plush carpets and comfortable tip-up seats, plus a state-of-the-art electrically operated sliding roof which ensured good ventilation.

That first performance was a mixed bag of leading artists of the time, including Severus Schaffer, one of the world’s biggest juggling stars of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, novelty ventriloquists, singers and acrobatic comedians Collins and Hart.

The theatre’s website recounts: “Performances in the early days were mainly variety, melodrama and pantomime. Many of the leading music hall artistes of the period appeared at the Pavilion, including Marie Lloyd, Little Tich, Harry Lauder, Florrie Forde, Will Fyffe, Sarah Bernhardt and a then unknown Charlie Chaplin.

“In the 1930s, the Pavilion began to host pantomimes with top name stars of the Scottish variety scene, such as Harry Gordon and Dave Willis….The Pavilion Theatre is now the only privately run theatre in Scotland and one of a few unsubsidised independent theatres left in Britain.”

Some of Scotland’s greatest stars became synonymous with the Pavilion – Francie and Josie (Rikki Fulton and Jack Milroy), Stanley Baxter, Lex McLean, whose ‘summer’ seasons lasted nine months, and Sydney Devine, to name but a few.

After McLean’s death in 1975, the theatre started losing money and the building fell into disrepair.

It was saved by theatre electrician Iain Gordon, who took over as stage manager and started to rebuild the venue, enticing acts as diverse as Sheena Easton, Wet Wet Wet and Billy Connolly to the stage.

Nostalgic productions, such as Pride of the Clyde, and home-grown comedy and musicals also helped to save the day.

The Pavilion was the launchpad for one of current TV’s biggest stars. Brendan O’Carroll, who created Irish mammy Mrs Brown and went on to international success – brought a whole new audience to the theatre.

Our archives are full of magical moments from the Pavilion Theatre’s history – from the famous photo of 60s crooner Frankie Vaughan striking a dramatic pose outside the building’s front doors, to the time Lorraine Kelly met ‘the Queen’ in the foyer.

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Comedian Tommy ‘clairty clairty’ Morgan was a Pavilion favourite, his summer show at the venue in the 40s and 50s having become something of a Glasgow institution.

When he died, his ashes were scattered from the theatre’s roof by Jimmy Logan – another late, great star who held the Pavilion audiences in the palm of his hand whenever he graced its stage.

The Pavilion has hosted many star-studded opening nights and gala performances over the decades and in 2007, an impressive array of celebrities attended the charity opening night of Cinderella.

Queen of daytime television Lorraine Kelly was one of the stars happy to pose for our photographers, alongside some other “Royal” guests, including the Queen and Prince Charles.

Despite the challenges of recent years - such as the Sauchiehall Street fires and Covid restrictions - the Pavilion continues to shine, and hold a special place in the hearts of Glasgow theatre-goers.

What is the best show you have ever seen at the Pavilion?

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