I moonlighted as an usherette from early 1957 to late 1959. My favourite act was Wilson, Keppel and Betty who were on the programme supporting Billy Eckstine.
Terry Dean was booked to do the Moss Empire Circuit after his marriage to Edna Savage. Due to ill health his booking was cancelled and a young man named Marty Wilde stepped into the slot.
Dave King topped the bill one week and lost his cool due to technical difficulties on the first house Monday.
Lonnie Donegan was king of skiffle but the audience he attracted were less than kind to Mikki and Griff who appeared at No 9 on the bill and they were booed off.
Glasgow was not ready for the topless show which was staged around 1958 and they had to close the theatre midway through the show when the audience started throwing ice cream onto the stage and the main dancer nearly slipped on it. Bobby the maestro in the orchestra pit was hit on the head with a coin thrown from the audience. The show was re-staged the following evening

Harry Secombe was topping the bill one week.  On the Friday he went down with laryngitis.  Ticket holders were given the choice of having their money returned or seeing the replacement artiste - Chic Murray.  Most patrons opted to see Chic instead.

I also remember Leslie Randall being in the No 9 spot.  The audience catcalled and didn't give him a chance.  Leslie stood looking at his watch, counting off the allotted time for his appearance. When his time was up he turned his back to the audience and bowed, bottoms up, before walking off the stage.

Harry Worth was a favourite.  He was also an accomplished ventriloquist.

When I started at the Empire Jack Radcliffe, Alec Finlay were in pantomime and Denny Willis did his hilarious Huntsman act.

I saw lots of bill toppers - Mitchell Torok, Marvin Rainwater, Charlie Gracie.  Shirley Bassey was obviously a star at the age of 20 when she first played the Empire. Al Hibbler, the original Unchained man, had a lovely voice but no personality - he was led onto the stage in the dark and sang his repertoire.  I was afraid he would hear the seats tipping up as a lot of patrons left before his performance was finished.

Alma Cogan was reputed to have an extensive stage wardrobe but each time she appeared, she wore the same dress for the 12 performances.

In another panto season, Larry Marshall, his then fiancee Kay Rose and Charlie Sim were major players.

The Marino Marini Quartet brought in a lot of Italian ex pats and gallons of gin and It were sold in the bars at the intervals.

On the staff side, things were operated very fairly.  The usherettes were rotated to work a week in the stalls, a week in the gods, a week in the circle and a week in the gods to give them all an even chance of tips. I remember only one week selling confectionery in the foyer - that was a goldmine for tips. 

After some months' service usherettes were drafted in to work in the bars at the intervals.

Max Bygraves brought in generous tippers, as did Frankie Vaughan (his personality really shone in a live performance), Ken Dodd could fill the place.

The Olsen and Johnson Crazy Gang put on an outrageous performance (Doctor Crock and his Crackpots included a wee skit on it in the Greens Playhouse).

I once had to show A E Pickard to his seat in the front row and he paid for his programme with 6 ha'pennies (that was after farthings were legal tender).

Another time I had to usher Prince Monolulu, the racing tipster to his seat and was rewarded with a tip of threepence.

Hope I haven't bored you.

LIZ O'NEIL

 Alma Cogan

Frankie Vaughan