The Herald

What better way to celebrate a birthday than to get lit up? The King's Theatre in Glasgow has done just that to mark its centenary year, not only with a popping of champagne corks and jolly goodwill toasts, but with an array of carefully-positioned floodlights. They now make the King's a glowing landmark on its Bath Street corner, while picking out the handsome details of Frank Matcham's architecture that is held to be one of his finest designs. Meanwhile, over in the People's Palace, there's a wee gem of an exhibition that tells you who Matcham was, and why the King's is such a vital part of Glasgow's history and cultural heritage. The title – It's Behind You – is a clue to the place the King's holds in the city's heart. That famous panto catchphrase, gleefully chanted over decades by King's audiences in their thousands, is a reminder that for many, their first visit to any theatre is to see a pantomime. Some of the programmes and other items in the display cases suggest it was an experience that fans of the theatre wanted to hold on to – doubtless never dreaming that one day these mementoes would provide a glimpse into entertainment before the advent of television or DVD.