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The Alhambra Theatre, Wellington Street, Glasgow
Formerly The Waterloo Rooms

Glasgow Index

Above - The Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow from a 1960s programme cover - Courtesy Graeme Smith

The Alhambra Theatre was built in 1910, and designed by the architect Sir John Burnet, for Glasgow Alhambra Ltd, and directed by Moss Empires. It stood on the site of the former Waterloo Rooms, the public hall and function rooms much used for meetings, concerts, soirees and balls, which had been converted from the former Wellington Church when its congregation moved west to University Avenue in 1884.

Right - A Watercolour of the Alhambra Theatre from the cover of a 1938 Tatler Magazine - Courtesy Graeme Smith.

From the 1920s the Theatre became famous for its variety, including international artistes, pantomimes, musical comedies and opera. From the 1930s it also became the main theatre for the Wilson Barret Repertory Company.

In 1954 it was bought by Howard & Wyndham Ltd as a successor to their Theatre Royal Hope Street, Glasgow which they knew they would soon sell to the Canadian Roy Thomson once he obtained the first licence to run Scotland`s new commercial television service, STV.

Left - A programme for 'A Waltze Dream' at the Alhambra Theatre on the 21st September 1942.

The Alhambra pantomimes continued to be highly successful, and the new spectacular pantomimes 'A Love for Jamie' and 'A Wish Jamie' toured north and south of the border.

It was the largest of the quality theatres in Scotland and one of the best equipped in Europe, with a revolving stage, and an orchestra platform which could rise onto and above the stage. All its dressing rooms had showers (unheard of elsewhere.)

After the Theatre Royal closed in 1957 the Alhambra became Howard & Wyndham`s most profitable theatre in Scotland.

Left - A programme for 'Saint Joan' by Bernard Shaw at the Alhambra Theatre on the 24th August 1946.

Right - A programme for 'Goldilocks and The Three Bears' at the Alhambra Theatre - 4th December 1954.

Scotland`s first Royal Variety Show was held here in 1958, and the famous Five Past Eight Shows attracted over 400,000 people each summer.

The Alhambra Theatre closed in 1969 and although you may find some articles about the Theatre stating that the building was demolished after a fire, actually this is incorrect and there never was a fire, the Theatre was actually sold to a property developer and then demolished by them in 1971.

Above - A view from the stage of the Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow during the Theatre's demolition in 1971 - From the book 'Glasgow since 1900' - Archive publications.

The text on this page was written by Graeme Smith and kindly sent in by him for inclusion on this site in 2008, and is from his book 'THE THEATRE ROYAL: Entertaining a Nation'. Details here. Graeme is currently planning the publication of a new book about The Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow.

Howard & Wyndham , Britain's Premier Theatre Circuit

Above - A Page from an Alhambra Theatre, Glasgow Programme showing theatres on the Howard and Wyndam Theatre Circuit for 1954.

See also Glasgow Theatres - Edinburgh Theatres