JOAN Neil was actually looking for a job as a cinema usherette.

She couldn't get one. In desperation she wrote to the King's Theatre in Glasgow, not expecting a reply. She did, and thus began a career that has now spanned 40 years, from being a part-time evening usherette to boss of the theatre's stage door, ensuring the stars are looked after, and the Stage Door Johnnies are politely yet firmly kept outside.

The King's is celebrating its 110th birthday, and Joan has been there for more than a third of them. She is not some imperious harridan defying people to trespass at her stage door. Instead, she is a softly-spoken deceptively young-looking 68-year-old often welcoming her stars for that week with the offer of a cup of tea.

Only once did she fear not recognising the star arriving, and that was Paul O'Grady, chat show host and television dog lover, whom she had seen only in drag as his alter-ego Lily Savage. Instead, Paul simply came in and introduced himself. "He's lovely" says Joan.

In fact, Joan thinks almost all of the actors, singers, comedians and musicians who have arrived at the King's are lovely - especially the Scottish ones. This is a good Glasgow woman who has a kind word about everybody.

"Johnny Beattie is a lovely person - speaks to you as if he has known you all your life. All the Scottish stars are like that, Una McLean, the late Calum Kennedy, Jimmy Logan, Elaine C Smith, Andy Gray, Gerard Kelly, all great fun," she says.

But surely some of the divas have thrown a tantrum or two? "Well, there was one star who was a bit stressed out, not getting her car parked easily, but I asked if she would like a cup of tea and she calmed down. You have to remember they are away from home, might not know the city, so I think it is nice if they come in here and get a smile. You need to be welcoming," she says diplomatically.

I gently probe for some dirt on the divas, but Joan is like a priest protecting the seal of the confessional. The worst I get is American star Mickey Rooney, who was "okay" in Joan's parlance. "He said, 'This is a lovely theatre' and I replied conversationally, 'Do you think so?' and he replied, 'I wouldn't have said it if I didn't think so'," recalls Joan, who obviously thought that was a bit sharp of him. So not quite throwing televisions out of dressing rooms or inhaling drugs off the bosoms of chorus girls then. Perhaps the King's is as sedate as a 110-year-old ought to be.

There were concerns, though, when plans to build the King's by theatre company Howard and Wyndham were mooted. At the time the surrounding area at Bath Street had many churches and it was feared a theatre would only encourage pubs and raffish behavour. The company brought in prolific theatre designer Frank Matcham, who was at the peak of his career. The rich red granite from Dumfriesshire has been well used to create one of Glasgow's outstanding buildings. It cost £50,000 to build, the equivalent of £3.5million today, and took only nine months to complete, despite the intricate way the various levels of seating are arranged. It seats 1,785 patrons, although originally it was well over 2,000 because there were benches in the cheaper areas.

In fact, the King's still has a throwback to the old class divisions. Patrons going to the more expensive stalls and grand circle still enter through the eye-catching main foyer. Those going to the upper circle go in a separate door on Bath Street and those heading to the gallery, well they go in around the corner in Elmbank Street. Wouldn't want the riff-raff to spoil the evening for the rich patrons who originally had uniformed waitresses to serve tea at their seats during the interval. The grand circle had only two ladies' toilets originally, as cultured ladies would not have been expected to use such a public facility.

On the roof of the King's are giant balls that are not really explained, and a lion holding a shield with the letters "KT" on it which, at one time, led to a lion called Katy being sponsored at Glasgow's Calderpark Zoo. There were also a couple of female statues on the roof but they were taken down for safekeeping during the war and were never found afterwards.

A rather plain brick-built extension where the stage door now is was added more recently. Before then it was a piece of waste ground used as an unofficial car park where actor Gregor Fisher had his BMW stolen while he was appearing on stage. Even Glasgow thieves can have immaculate timing.

This year is a double landmark at the King's, not only its 110th birthday, but the 50th year of pantomime. Just don't mention it to The Herald's music critic Michael Tumelty. He believes that people forget the important role the King's played in the early days of Scottish Opera before it moved to the Theatre Royal. Recalled Michael: "Its early great productions, including the company's first Ring Cycle and a breadth of ambitious operatic undertakings that simply were not being staged elsewhere in the UK, and had critics breathless with excitement and flocking to Glasgow, were staged there."

Although owned by the city council, bookings are handled by the Ambassador Theatre Group. Last week it was putting on The Full Monty, about male strippers, which attracted gaggles of drink-fuelled middle-aged women. "Not the normal theatre crowd" said Joan in her most diplomatic fashion. As I walked past, a coachload of female pensioners was being disgorged to see the strippers. Perhaps the 110-year-old lady has a libidinous side after all.