History

The King's Theatre was commissioned by the Edinburgh-based theatre company Howard & Wyndham at a cost of over £50,000. Some residents of the Charing Cross area, which had a large number of churches, objected to the construction of such a place of entertainment. Despite this opposition, construction went ahead and the theatre opened on September 12th 1904.

It had been a policy to close during the summer while many city residents headed to the coast for their holidays, (the Glasgow Fair).

The King's held a traditional Christmas pantomime. These shows were produced by Charles and Ilona Ross and featuredballet dancers, real horses pulling Cinderella's carriage, elaborate sets and costumes, smoke effects, trap doors and music. The Christmas pantomime is still an annual feature at the King's, making use of local comedians and actors such as Gerard Kelly and Elaine C. Smith.

There is always a healthy rivalry with other Scottish theatres to put on the biggest and best Christmas pantomimes, with the main competition to the King's in Glasgow being the Pavilion Theatre in Renfield Street.


Kings Theatre Official Site