Panopticon : Information + Images

Address: The Britannia Panopticon Music Hall, 115 Trongate, Glasgow Contact: 0141 553 0840 Location: Argyle Street, south side of Merchant City Architects: Thomas Gildard & H.M.McFarlane Status: Grade A-listed Panopticon image © adrian welch Panopticon - News, Oct 2008: Glasgow's first cabaret festival to raise cash for Britannia Music Hall restoration. The week-long festival next July will include a mix of theatre, cabaret and burlesque. Organised by Glasgow theatre group Rhymes with Purple. Panopticon - History The Britannia Music Hall opened in 1857 and is Britian's oldest music hall. It was formerly called Campbell's Music Saloon. In 1903 the Music Hall closed, reopening in 1906 as the Panopticon or Britannia Theatre of Varieties and Panopticon. It became the Tron Cinema after 1922 but in 1927 was again titled Panopticon. The Britannia closed in 1938 but the exterior - and much of the interior - of the former Music Hall remains. A campaign runs to restore the Britannia Music Hall and it featured in 2003 on the BBC Restoration programme. Panopticon photo © adrian welch Famous Britannia Music Hall performers include comedian Stan Laurel and actor Cary Grant