project to try to list all the shows ever performed at our lovely old art-deco theatre in Hales Street, once known as the Showplace of the Midlands. Opening as the New Hippodrome on the 1st November 1937, it was renamed Coventry Theatre in 1955, then from 1979 became The Apollo, giving its final performance in June 1985. After a short spell as a bingo hall it was eventually realised that a building of such size could not be put to any practical use, so, sadly, it was demolished in 2002. If anyone still has any tickets and would like to see them used to illustrate a show, please contact me.
Also of interest might be A short history of Coventry's Theatres and Cinemas, by Bill Birch.
1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
1937 | |||
| Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 1st Nov until Sat 6th Nov 1937 | Harry Roy and his Band | The first ever show at the newly opened New Hippodrome. Also featuring Ann Penn, radio impressionist. | |
| Mon 8th Nov until Sat 13th Nov 1937 | Mills Brothers | Quartet of black American vocalists, using voices to replicate instruments. Also appearances by Clarkson Rose, Robb Wilton, Dawn Davis and the Three Mighty Atoms. | |
| Mon 15th Nov until Sat 20th Nov 1937 | Henry Hall and his Orchestra | Also the Max Rivers 12 Hippodrome Lovelies. | |
| Mon 22nd Nov until Sat 27th Nov 1937 | Stanley Holloway | Comedian. Also Leslie A. "Hutch" Hutchinson. | |
| Mon 29th Nov until Sat 4th Dec 1937 | Arthur Tracey the Street Singer | Plus Rawicz and Landauer, piano duo. | |
| Sun 5th Dec 1937 | Cheylesmore Senior Girls' School | Nativity play. | |
| Mon 6th Dec until Sat 11th Dec 1937 | Ronald Frankau | Radio performer. Plus Revnell and West, Royal Command performers - Ivor Moreton and Dave Kaye, pianists. | |
| Mon 13th Dec until Sat 18th Dec 1937 | Hip! Hip! Zooray Circus | Includes sea lions and dancing elephants! | |
| Mon 27th Dec until Sat 29th Jan 1938 | Aladdin and his Wonderful Lamp | Pantomime, featuring Vera Lennox, Rex London, Donald Stuart, Heather Gale, the Lassiter Brothers and Alec Pleon. Thereafter on each Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday. | |
1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985
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