Scottish entertainers Jack Milroy and Rikki Fulton with some of the woodland creature characters from Babes in the Wood, the Christmas pantomime at the Kings theatre in Edinburgh, December 1980. | TSPL

placeholder image — Scottish entertainers Jack Milroy and Rikki Fulton with some of the woodland creature characters from Babes in the Wood, the Christmas pantomime at the Kings theatre in Edinburgh, December 1980. | TSPL

Edinburgh Retro: 29 brilliant pictures of city theatres in the early 1980s, including Billy Connolly, Shakin' Stevens and Shirley Bassey

Published 11th Jul 2026, 19:18 GMT

Updated 12th Jul 2026, 06:00 GMT

From Stanley Baxter to Peter Ustinov, not to mention Cliff Richard and Billy Connolly, so many big names have entertained audiences in Edinburgh.

The Capital’s thriving cultural scene is not just in evidence at Festival time.

Here re some fascinating photos selected from the Evening News archive showing some of the shows, big names and famous plays which were on stage in the Capital in the early 1980s.

Scroll through and get a taste of Edinburgh’s theatreland around four decades ago.

29. Stanley Baxter in 'Mother Goose'

Stanley Baxter photographed with two of his "goslings", Audrey Smith and Phyllis Hutchinson, on stage with the "Mother Goose" panto at The Kings Theatre, December 6 1982. | TSPL Photo: Ian Brand

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Edinburgh Retro: 29 brilliant pictures of city theatres in the early 1980s, including Billy Connolly, Shakin' Stevens and Shirley Bassey

From Stanley Baxter to Peter Ustinov, not to mention Cliff Richard and Billy Connolly, so many big names have entertained audiences in Edinburgh.

29. Stanley Baxter in 'Mother Goose'

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