Glasgow has a rich theatre past with The Theatre Royal on Hope Street near Cowcaddens being the oldest theatre still in use in the city.
Some of the biggest names in showbiz have performed at Glasgow theatres through the years as the likes of Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald and Danny Kaye all took the stage in theatres which have long since disappeared.
Veteran Scottish stand-up and actor Johnny Beattie summed up Glasgow’s theatres well when he said: “If they like you, they will let you live.”
Here are seven lost and forgotten Glasgow theatres which we still miss.
1. Glasgow Empire Theatre
The Glasgow Empire Theatre opened on the site of the Gaiety Theatre on Sauchiehall Street back in 1897. The likes of Tony Bennett, Judy Garland and Frank Sinatra performed at the venue over the years. It was also notorious for being "The English comic's grave". The final curtain came down on the theatre in March 1963. | Glasgow City Archives
2. Metropole Theatre
The Metropole Theatre was built in 1862 on Stockwell Street and began life as The Scotia Hall. The theatre was first damaged by fire in 1875 and rebuilt. It was renamed The Metropole before the turn of the twentieth century and remained a fixture on the street until it was destroyed by fire in October 1961. Stan Laurel's father Arthur Jefferson once managed the theatre with Stan working at the box office. | Glasgow City Archives
3. Queens Theatre
The Queens Theatre was once found on Watson Street near to Glasgow Cross. It was built in the 1870s for working class Glaswegians and first opened as the Star Hall. It was renamed as the Queens Theatre in 1897 but was destroyed by fire in 1952. | Glasgow City Archives
4. Jimmy Logan’s Metropole
Jimmy Logan’s Metropole opened as the West End Playhouse in 1913, seating 1,300. It became Jimmy Logan's Metropole in 1964 and closed eight years later. The building on St George's Road was demolished in 1987. | Woodside Community Council