STANLEY BAXTER is best known for his Parliamo Glasgow comedy sketches. But long before he hit the heights of TV fame he was known as a star of the famous Five Past Eight shows at the Alhambra Theatre, at the corner of Waterloo Street and
Wellington Street, Glasgow.
This picture shows himwith Denise Shaune, left, and Joyce Fraser for the show in May 1958.
The shows changed programmes every three weeks and ran regularly in the 1950s and 1960s. There were large audiences in the 2800-capacity theatre, but the expense of putting on the shows meant they were not very profitable.
The sets included giant violins, swimming tanks and a Starlight Room and other regular favourite performers included Rikki Fulton and Jack Milroy, Jimmy Logan, Moira Anderson, and Kenneth McKellar.
Scotland’s first Royal Variety Show was also staged at the theatre in 1958.
But the cost of the summer spectaculars eventuallyproved too much,and the theatre closed in 1969. It was demolished in 1971 and is now occupied by an office block.

Glasgow Times:

1958: The cars, the fashions and the advertising signs have changed, but Miller Street, in Glasgow city centre, looks pretty much the same as when this photograph was taken in September 1958