n 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 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 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
1919 | Old Hippodrome, Hales Street | ||
| Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 6th Jan until Sat 11th Jan 1919 | Elgar Hudson Quintette | Plus, Gyp and George, Artemas, D'Voraks, Maud Edwards, Lillie Langtry, and Wilfred Burnand. | |
| Mon 13th Jan until Sat 18th Jan 1919 | Father | Sketch starring 'Pimple' in person. Plus, Niblo and Doris, Mart and Pep, Mark Brewer and Soprano, and many more. | |
| Mon 20th Jan until Sat 25th Jan 1919 | Wal Langtry | Comedian. Plus, Harold Feber, comedy 'Departed Spirits', The Royal Bartle Quartette, and much more. | |
| Mon 27th Jan until Sat 1st Feb 1919 | Over There | Starring Maisie O'Connor, Marie Kay and Charles Maverne, and many others. | |
| Mon 3rd Feb until Sat 8th Feb 1919 | Symphonia | Henry J. Corner musical ensemble. Plus, Fred Keeton, May Henderson, and many more. | |
| Mon 10th Feb until Sat 15th Feb 1919 | Vindictive | War play. Plus, Tommy & Yvonne, Wee Georgie Beck, Anna Hana, and more. | |
| Mon 17th Feb until Sat 22nd Feb 1919 | Ernie Mayne | Plus, dance comedy 'The Kitchen', Len Carrodus, Spence & Jocelyn, and others. | |
| Mon 24th Feb until Sat 1st Mar 1919 | The Babes in the Wood | Record breaking production. Plus, The Two Canadians, and The Four Emeralds. | |
| Mon 3rd Mar until Sat 8th Mar 1919 | Jack Sterzelly | With Lucky, the human dog. Plus, Miss Lily Morris, the Charley Meteor Trio, and many others. | |
| Mon 10th Mar until Sat 15th Mar 1919 | Birds of Paradise | Powerful cast including Harry Dent and Kitty Emson. Plus, The Doves, and Special War Films. | |
| Mon 17th Mar until Sat 22nd Mar 1919 | Kirkby and Hudson | Humour and harmony. Plus, Dan Whitley, Laurie Devine, Goodfellow and Gregson, and much more. | |
| Mon 24th Mar until Sat 29th Mar 1919 | Miss Maidie Scott | Comedienne. Plus, Dale and O'Malley, Ben Albert, and many others. | |
| Mon 31st Mar until Sat 5th Apr 1919 | Bed-Fellows | Starring Miss Beaumont Collins and her West-End company. Plus, Peter Pariss, Ford and Truly, and more. | |
| Mon 7th Apr until Sat 12th Apr 1919 | A Model Muddle | Comedy featuring W. L. Rowland. Plus, Jack Shires, Holden and Graham, and more. | |
| Mon 14th Apr until Sat 19th Apr 1919 | All Clear | Farce starring Billy Davis. Plus, the Elfin Trio, Jack and Lily Butt, and more. | |
| Mon 21st Apr until Sat 26th Apr 1919 | Miss Zona Vevey and Max Erard | With his 8 ton cathedral organ. Plus, Smith and Joyce, Ragolio, and much more. | |
| Mon 28th Apr until Sat 3rd May 1919 | Fred Barnes | Light comedy star. Plus, The Piccadillians, Vivian Foster, and many others. | |
| Mon 5th May until Sat 10th May 1919 | Frank Van Hoven | The dippy mad magician. Plus, Terence Byron, the Three Sisters O'Hara, and others. | |
| Mon 12th May until Sat 17th May 1919 | Arnold De Biere | A magical production. Plus, the Two Anartos, Alice Hollander, and many more. | |
| Mon 19th May until Sat 24th May 1919 | Odds On | Starring W. H. Kirby and Gwen Clifford. Plus, Foster Kershaw, the Gordon Trio, and more. | |
| Mon 26th May until Sat 31st May 1919 | The Marriage (K)not | Comedy starring Freddie Frome. Plus, Dudley Dale, Varney and Brett, and more. | |
| Mon 2nd Jun until Sat 7th Jun 1919 | Magini | The English violin wizard. Plus, Winifred Ward, Petite Nina, Viviana and Co., plus more. | |
| Mon 9th Jun until Sat 14th Jun 1919 | Horace Jones | Comedian. Plus, Bert Lloyd, Cliff Berzac, George Calver, and others. | |
| Mon 16th Jun until Sat 21st Jun 1919 | Mdlle. Irma Lorraine | French poseuse. Plus, The Keystones, the Haig Bros. & Ryan, and much more. | |
| Mon 23rd Jun until Sat 28th Jun 1919 | The Red Moon | Comedy featuring Edwin Lawrence 'the argumentative comedian' and large cast. | |
| Mon 30th Jun until Sat 5th Jul 1919 | Gilday and Fox | Presenting 'The Hebrew Specials'. Plus, Sun Spots, the Sisters Sprightly, and many more. | |
| Mon 7th Jul until Sat 12th Jul 1919 | George Carney | Comedian. Plus, Nelson Jackson, Power and Bendon, McDonald, Watson and Co., and more. | |
| Mon 14th Jul until Sat 19th Jul 1919 | Cruikshank | 'The fool of the family'. Plus, Frank Elliston, the Yelson Trio, Bert Maddison, and others. | |
| Mon 21st Jul until Sat 26th Jul 1919 | Noni & Partner | An eccentric musical comedy. Plus, Jennie Hartley, Ernest Roma, and many more. | |
| Mon 28th Jul until Sat 2nd Aug 1919 | My Son, Sammy | Musical absurdity starring Arthur White. Plus, Melville and Meta, and Special War Films. | |
| Mon 4th Aug until Sat 9th Aug 1919 | Hi Diddle Diddle! | Musical featuring Syd Walker and star cast. Plus, Hurman, and Latest News on the Hipposcope. | |
| Mon 11th Aug until Sat 16th Aug 1919 | Eve's Garden | Musical comedy starring Miss Jessie Allan. Plus, The Five Nuts, The Mestrays, and many others. | |
| Mon 18th Aug until Sat 23rd Aug 1919 | Miss Marie Lloyd | Queen of comediennes. Plus, Tom E. Hughes, Ernest Krake and Co., and more. | |
| Mon 25th Aug until Sat 30th Aug 1919 | Jack Pleasants | Vocalist. Plus, Thompson and Walker, Lyn and Green, Graham Brothers, and others. | |
| Mon 1st Sep until Sat 6th Sep 1919 | Certs | Comedy starring Billy Lytton, F. V. St. Clair and Frank H. Fox. | |
| Mon 8th Sep until Sat 13th Sep 1919 | Zomah, the Psychic Phenomenon | Plus, Sandy Powell, Monty Wolfe, Billie Val, and more. | |
| Mon 15th Sep until Sat 20th Sep 1919 | The New Slavey | Comedy sketch. Plus, Hunter and Bob, Benson and Gray, the Violet Vaughan Trio, and others. | |
| Mon 22nd Sep until Sat 27th Sep 1919 | Devilled Chicken | Play starring Freshwater & Harcourt. Plus, the D'Arcy Woolven Trio, the New Macs, and others. | |
| Mon 29th Sep until Sat 4th Oct 1919 | A Sister to Assist 'Er | Jack Williams play. Plus, Bruce Green, Anita Edis and Freddy Forbes, and many others. | |
| Mon 6th Oct until Sat 11th Oct 1919 | Billy Merson | Comedian. Plus Johnson, Bert and Co., Manuel and Francois, Dolly Ross, and others. | |
| Mon 13th Oct until Sat 18th Oct 1919 | Musical Elephants | Plus, revue 'All Stars', Helen Charles, The 9 Dainty Dots, and many more. | |
| Mon 20th Oct until Sat 25th Oct 1919 | Manny & Roberts | Messenger Boys from Broadway. Plus, A. D. Robbins, Penrose & Whitlock, Rich Hayes, and more. | |
| Mon 27th Oct until Sat 1st Nov 1919 | Three Bites | Farce starring Dick Evans and Poppie Holland. Plus, the Rubani Trio, and others. | |
| Mon 3rd Nov until Sat 8th Nov 1919 | Liane D'Eve | French comedienne. Plus, David Poole, Marie Lawton, Webb and Page, and others. | |
| Mon 10th Nov until Sat 15th Nov 1919 | Apres La Guerre | Comedy sketch. Plus, Jerry and Co., George Morton 'the Black Dot', MacGarvey and Seeler, and more. | |
| Mon 17th Nov until Sat 22nd Nov 1919 | Will Bland | Mystery and magic. Plus, Cullen & Carthy, Sam Hilton, The Empire Operatic Quartette, and more. | |
| Mon 24th Nov until Sat 29th Nov 1919 | Ike & Will Scott | Comedians and dancers. Plus, Tom D. Newell, O'Neil and Thayer, and many more. | |
| Mon 1st Dec until Sat 6th Dec 1919 | Wit and Wisdom | Musical burlesque starring Percy Johnson. Plus, the 2 Cures, Miss Josephine La Barte, Jaffa, and more. | |
| Mon 8th Dec until Sat 13th Dec 1919 | Breaking the Clouds | Comedy starring Dan Rayner. Plus, Lowenwirth & Cohan, Page's Animated Dolls, and many more. | |
| Mon 15th Dec until Sat 20th Dec 1919 | Issues | Musical comedy by Australian entertainers. Plus, Erne & Chester and others. | |
| Mon 22nd Dec until Sat 27th Dec 1919 | Mumming Birds | Fred Karno's comedy. Plus, Artemas, Two Le Bergs, Calem and Emery, the Kuba Quartette, and more. | |
| Mon 29th Dec 1919 until Sat 3rd Jan 1920 | Seasoned To Taste | Musical comedy. Plus, Syd Moorhouse, Lune & Shaw, Hickey's Comedy Circus, and more. | |
Prev year: 1918Showing 1919Next year: 1920
1884 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 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.
Website by Rob Orland © 2002 to 2024
Load time: 20ms