Home Home

 

Hippodrome / Coventry Theatre / Apollo show archive

An attempt to list all the shows ever performed at our Hippodromes, beginning with the temporary circus buildings, which from 1884 were specially erected on Pool Meadow for each visit - then, in 1903, to the first permanent, but short-lived, 'Tin' Hippodrome on the Priory Street side of Pool Meadow facing the old Swimming Baths. The popularity of these shows created the demand for a theatre worthy of our city, and so in 1906 began the construction in Hales Street, next to Swanswell Gate, of what we now regard as the Old Hippodrome.
Again, the success of this theatre meant that barely three decades later a greater capacity was required, and so we come to our lovely art-deco New Hippodrome in Hales Street, once known as the Showplace of the Midlands. Opening 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 such a building could not be put to any practical use, so, sadly, it was demolished in 2002. If anyone still has any tickets or programmes and would like to see them used to illustrate a show, please contact me.



1884 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 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

1955

Coventry Theatre, Hales Street

Date(s)ShowNotesImages
Mon 14th Mar 1955COVENTRY THEATREFrom the start of the show on the 14th March, the Hippodrome will be renamed the "Coventry Theatre", in an effort by Mr. S. H. Newsome to distinguish it from the many other "Hippodromes" around the country.
Mon 14th Mar until Sat 26th Mar 1955South PacificRogers & Hammerstein musical, direct from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.
Mon 28th Mar until Sat 2nd Apr 1955Peter PanFeaturing Barbara Kelly.
Mon 4th Apr until Sat 9th Apr 1955The LoversStarring Eva Bartok, Sam Wanamaker and Helen Haye.
Mon 11th Apr until Sat 16th Apr 1955The Covent Garden OperaIncluding Carmen and La Traviata.
Mon 18th Apr until Sat 23rd Apr 1955My Three AngelsComedy, featuring Ronald Shiner, Nigel Stock and George Rose.
Mon 25th Apr until Sat 30th Apr 1955I Am A CameraComedy, featuring Moira Shearer.Click to view
Mon 2nd May until Sat 14th May 1955The Dancing Years (On Ice)Featuring Anne Rogers, Olive Gilbert and Sylvia Cecil.
Mon 16th May until Sat 21st May 1955Witness For The ProsecutionAgatha Christie's play, with a cast of 30.
Mon 23rd May until Sat 28th May 1955Billy EckstineAmerica's greatest singing star, with All-Star variety.
Mon 30th May until Sat 4th Jun 1955Don CornellAmerican singing star, with variety support.
Mon 6th Jun until Sat 18th Jun 1955Guys and DollsMusical, with Jacqueline James and big American cast.
Mon 20th Jun until Sat 25th Jun 1955Ronnie HiltonStar Time Variety, with Tommy Burke & Company, Frank Cook, and many others.
Mon 27th Jun until Sat 2nd Jul 1955Ruby MurrayVariety, with Chic Murray, Jimmy Wheeler, and others.
Mon 4th Jul until Sat 9th Jul 1955Max Wall and the Radio RevellersWith Tony Fayne, David Evans, and All-Star programme.
Mon 11th Jul until Sat 16th Jul 1955Billy Cotton and his BandDue to illness, Billy's son, Billy Cotton junior, will replace his dad.
Mon 18th Jul until Sat 23rd Jul 1955Five-Star Variety BillWith Dennis Letis, Jimmy James & Company, Diana Decker, Wilson, Keppel & Betty and The Dargie Quintet.
Mon 25th Jul until Sat 30th Jul 1955Variety ShowWith David Hughes, Sam Costa, Jerry Allen & his Trio, Des O'Connor, and others.
Mon 1st Aug until Sat 6th Aug 1955Joy of LivingStarring Jack Hulbert and Cicely Courtneidge.
Mon 8th Aug until Sat 13th Aug 1955Variety ShowRadio Stars, including Tony Brent, Tommy Fields, Brian Reece, and others.
Mon 15th Aug until Sat 20th Aug 1955The Manor of NorthsteadLight Comedy, with Charles Heslop and A. E. Matthews.
Mon 22nd Aug until Sat 27th Aug 1955Tony HancockHis first visit to Coventry, with Jack Jackson, Teddy Johnson, and others.
Mon 29th Aug until Sat 3rd Sep 1955Dickie Valentine"Singing for You".
Mon 5th Sep until Sat 10th Sep 1955Romance in CandlelightMusical Play, with Jacques Pils, Sally Anne Howes, Patricia Burke, and others. Click to view
Mon 12th Sep until Sat 24th Sep 1955Wedding in ParisStarring Evelyn Laye.
Sun 18th Sep 1955Halle OrchestraOne night only.
Mon 26th Sep until Sat 1st Oct 1955Al MartinoWith Teddy Foster and his Orchestra, and All-Star programme.
Mon 3rd Oct until Sat 8th Oct 1955Too Young to MarryStarring George Formby.
Mon 10th Oct until Sat 15th Oct 1955Anniversary WaltzStarring Bernard Braden and Barbara Kelly.
Mon 17th Oct until Sat 22nd Oct 1955The Jazz TrainAll-Negro Musical - the Broadway Smash Hit.
Mon 24th Oct until Sat 29th Oct 1955The BubarryMusical Play, with the Coventry Amateur Operatic Society.
Mon 31st Oct until Sat 10th Dec 19551955 Birthday ShowIncluding Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan, Peter Sellers, Charlie Cairoli, and many others.
Sun 6th Nov 1955London Philharmonic OrchestraConducted by Anatole Fistoulari.
Sun 20th Nov 1955Coventry School of Music ConcertIncluding the Corp of Drums.
Mon 12th Dec until Sat 17th Dec 1955All For MaryFarce, with David Tomlinson and David Hutchinson. (No shows next week for Pantomime rehearsals.)Click to view
Fri 23rd Dec 1955 until Sat 10th Mar 1956Mother GoosePantomime, with George Lacy, Eve Boswell, Sally Barnes and Ken Roberts.

Prev year: 1954   Next year: 1956

1884 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 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



Also of interest might be A short history of Coventry's Theatres and Cinemas, by Bill Birch.

 
Search this site:
 
 
Associated pages....
Home | How this site began | Bibliography | About me | My music | Discussion Forum | Steve's website | Historic Stoke, Coventry | Orland family website
Top of the page

This is your first visit to my website today, thank you!

3,130,732

Website by Rob Orland © 2002 to 2024

Load time: 26ms