ONE hundred and forty years ago, in 1879, the same year in which Glasgow's Theatre Royal auditorium was destroyed by fire, a new theatre, the Royalty, opened for business on Sauchiehall Street at the corner of Renfield Street.

In the words of the Arthur Lloyd music hall and theatre history website, the Royalty became famous in its first years for its comedies, plays and opera, and thrived in contrast to the nearby Theatre Royal, which reopened in 1880.

The Royalty switched to electricity in February 1888, and in 1895 it was one of the four founding theatres of Howard & Wyndham Ltd when the company was created by Michael Simons in 1895.

In 1913 the venue became Lyric Picture Palace, showing silent films. During the war it was bought by the Glasgow United YMCA, which turned it into a hostel for soldiers and sailors. The war over, the building was given a new identity in September 1914.

“The old Royalty Theatre, rechristened the Lyric Playhouse, was opened last night as a purveyor of picture and vaudeville entertainment”, wrote the Glasgow Herald. The numerous alterations included spacious new entrances, a “well-lit and artistically embellished” staircase, and a commodious tea-room that led to the auditorium. The Evening Times described the Lyric as “the most comfortable and luxurious in Great Britain”.

The Lyric was home to the Glasgow Repertory Company, some of whose early members found considerable fame on the stage. Over the years, many amateur productions took place at the Lyric, including the annual finals of the Scottish Community Drama Association. It was also said to have hosted the first presentation of a Chekhov play - The Seagull - in Britain.

Fire devastated the Lyric, however, in May 1953, believed to have been caused by a carelessly discarded cigarette. The adjoining YMCA premises were undamaged, though it took quick action by firefighters to prevent the blaze from reaching Green’s Playhouse, which was separated from the Lyric by narrow Renfield Lane.

Plans were quickly put in hand to rebuild the Lyric, and the YMCA later launched a public appeal to raise £30,000. By late November, however, just over £3000 had been raised. In May 1956, the Lyric, rebuilt by the YMCA at a cost of £112,000, opened with a comedy, and, not surprisingly, a ban on smoking.

The YMCA had by this time received £86,500, but still needed £25,000. Nevertheless, it had done a “magnificent job”, said the Herald, which ran the photograph (right) of the Lyric’s splendid interior. The compact auditorium could seat 847 people.

But by 1961 the Lyric was being demolished to make way for an office block. That April, a 400ft section collapsed and injured five people, though one girl had an amazing escape - two enormous stones collided as they fell and formed an arch over her as she lay on the pavement.

*Thanks to Brian D Henderson, President of the Old Glasgow Club.

Read more: Herald Diary