Music Hall revival, variety, jazz, burlesque, tapdance, can-can, tango, ghosts!and shopping in our charity shops at 45 and 49 High Street, Glasgow for Vintage clothing and accessories, books, music and collectibles
Music
Movies
Laurel & Hardy, and any silent movies
Television
Never heard of it. We're currently in 1908...
Books
"Stan Laurel and Other Stars of the Panopticon The Story of the Britannia Music Hall" by Judith Bowers and Published by Birlinn
Heroes
Stan Laurel, Harry Lauder, Jack Buchanan, Dan Leno, Marie Lloyd, Charles Coburn, Harry Champion, Bessie Bellwood, Jenny Hill, Jem Mace, Carrie Nation, Marie Loftus, Mdlle Paula the Reptile Conqueror, Marie Yorke, Princess Christina the Human Fresco, The Human Trunk, Tom Thumb, Soloman the man monkey - and all the other long lost stars of the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall and Pickard's Museum.
Britannia Panopticon Music Hall's Details
Status:
Single
Hometown:
Glasgow
Zodiac Sign:
Scorpio
Britannia Panopticon Music Hall Britannia Panopticon, the world's oldest surviving music hall is also available at www.britanniapanopticon.orgPosted at 5:31 PM Sep 15, 2008 view more
About me: Britannia Panopticon Music Hall is over 150 Years old! And to celebrate, Stan Laurel and Other Stars of the Panopticon – The Story of The Britannia Music Hall (by Judith Bowers, published by Birlinn) is now availble in most good bookshops.
It’s crammed full of pictures and anecdotes from the Britannia Panopticon archives.
From Music Hall to chicken farm, this building on Glasgow’s Trongate boasts a unique history which included performances by Dan Leno, Jack Buchanan, Harry Lauder, Archie Leech (Cary Grant) and famously the debut of a 16 year-old Stan Laurel. With freaks-shows, wax works and carnival in the attic and zoo in the basement, Stan Laurel and Other Stars of the Panopticon is an entertaining romp through music hall and popular entertainment history.
Perfect as a stocking filler!
A Brief History of Britannia Panopticon
In 1857 the architects Thomas Gildard and H.M.McFarlane built a little music hall on the site of an old warehouse. The building opened as the Britannia Hall circa 1859 and today is the last surviving auditorium of its type in Scotland, and one of the last in Britain.
Over the years the Britannia changed ownership a number of times and was known by various names, including “Campbell’s Music Saloon” and “Hubner’s Animatograph”. Even the buildings use changed and on August 25th 1896 moving pictures began to be shown here on a regular basis.
Whatever the title, Britannia became “pre-eminently the most popular place of amusement” to the workers in the Second City of the Empire, making the Britannia one of the most important buildings to survive in connection to Glasgow’s social history.
In 1906 A.E.Pickard (a well known Glasgow character) bought the building and re-opened it as “Britannia and Grand Panopticon”.
Pickard was a man of diverse taste. Between 1906 and 1938 the building housed not just music hall and cinema entertainment, but also freak shows, waxworks, carnival and zoo.
The Panopticon - or “Pots and Pans” as it became locally known - was renowned for its Friday amateur nights when such stars as Stan Laurel and Jack Buchanan made their debuts. Even a young Archie Leech is said to have performed there before moving to Hollywood and changing his name to Cary Grant.
Unfortunately, in the wake of modern cinema buildings and the depression of the 1930’s, the Britannia Panopticon closed. Since 1938 the auditorium has lain silent, but intact. The ghost of a stage remains beneath a wooden proscenium arch and the benches that once supported the bottoms of many a raucous audience now only holds the dust of more than half a century, whilst the gold paint and ornate plaster crumble through the decades of neglect.
The purpose of the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall Trust is to save and preserve -or assist in the preservation of- Glasgow's oldest theatre building which is also one of the last and oldest surviving Victorian music halls in Britain. The building received an "A" category listing in 1977.
Who I'd like to meet:
... some modern day Friends! Why not join our fundraising body, the Friends of Britannia Panopticon?
The Friends welcome members from all walks of life and all age groups. The annual subscription fee is £15, though we do have several members who have paid a lifetime subscription of £150 - £250.
For more info on becoming a friend contact
Judith Bowers
Britannia Panopticon Music Hall
113-117 Trongate
Glasgow
G1 5HD
Tel +44 (0)141 553 0840
Britannia Panopticon Music Hall's Friend Space (Top 24)
Britannia Panopticon Music Hall is open to the public for an exhibition of COSTUME AND FILM 16th - 21st September 2008 11am - 5pm This exhibition is a part of Glasgow's Built Heritage Week all film shown is courtesy of Scottish Screen Archive at NLS
MAGNERS GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL. IF YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS COMING TO BRITANNIA PANOPTICON CHECK OUT OUR WEBSITE www. britanniapanopticon. org
The Best in the West for VINTAGE!!! Don't Forget: Britannia Panopticon Charity Shops! The Best in Glasgow, if not Scotland. Come visit our Books and Media Shop at 45 High Street, Glasgow and Bric-a-Brac, clothes and collectibles at 49 High Street, Glasgow. The best in the west for bargains in VINTAGE clothing and accessories!!! Every penny you spend with us helps to support the concervation of the Britannia Panopticon Music Hall, the oldest music hall in Britain and the oldest surviving home of Burlesque. You can call us on 0141 552 4467
Roll up for our rip-roarin' night of cartoon-strip sideshow variety mayhem starring Gawkagogo and the cream of our freaky friends!!! WEDNESDAY MARCH 12TH The VIBE LOUNGE (above the Vibe Bar) 91 - 95 Brick Lane London E1 6QL
Doors 7pm Show 8pm sharp DJ + bar til 11pm £7 entry
Hey Panopticon people! I remember doing the sound on a student doc about the britannia, just as it was finishing getting rejigged. Whatever happened to that? It was a dude called Guy that directed it - I seem to remember it was pretty good (and the sound was extraordinary, natch)...you should get it on here. Anyway, hope all is well!....Gregor Barclay, Phase VI.
It’s crammed full of pictures and anecdotes from the Britannia Panopticon archives.
