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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 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

1934

Old Hippodrome, Hales Street

Date(s)ShowNotesImages
Mon 8th Jan until Sat 13th Jan 1934Chapman's Great Continental Zoo-CircusLions! Polar Bears! Elephants! Tigers! Clowns! Clowns! Clowns!
Mon 15th Jan until Sat 20th Jan 1934Crazy ShowThe second edition of the London Palladium show.
Mon 22nd Jan until Sat 27th Jan 1934Big Variety ProgrammeIncluding the 'Stars of the Future' contest, with £50 cash prizes. Including Norman Long, Sam Mayo and Betty Fields.
Mon 29th Jan until Sat 3rd Feb 1934Queenie May & Her GangNew revue, with Dan Young and James Hunter.
Mon 5th Feb until Sat 10th Feb 1934The Quaker GirlBy the Coventry Amateur Operatic Society.
Mon 12th Feb until Sat 17th Feb 1934So This Is MaskelyneMystery comedy revue, with a great crazy auction.
Mon 19th Feb until Sat 24th Feb 1934Alexander & MosePlus, Billy Bennett, The Charladies, The New Tryx Sisters, and more variety.
Mon 26th Feb until Sat 3rd Mar 1934George, Gertie & TedNew comedy revue with George Elliott, Gertie Gitana & Ted Ray
Mon 5th Mar until Sat 10th Mar 1934The Student Prince'The greatest musical success of the present decade'.
Mon 12th Mar until Sat 17th Mar 1934Garner, Wolf, & HakinsAmerican comedy, with Jack Egan and Rosemarie. Plus Robb Wilton, and more.
Mon 19th Mar until Sat 24th Mar 1934Smith's WivesFarce, starring comedian, Ernie Lotinga.
Mon 26th Mar until Sat 31st Mar 1934Sandy Powell's Road ShowVariety, with The Act Superb, Roy Jefferies, Billy Matchett, Florence Irving, and many others.
Mon 2nd Apr until Sat 7th Apr 1934Paris FantaisieNon-stop French revue, direct from its London run.
Mon 9th Apr until Sat 14th Apr 1934Layton & JohnstonePlus, Tex McLeod and Jean Kennedy.
Mon 16th Apr until Sat 21st Apr 1934Ca C'est Paris'The greatest French revue of all time'.
Mon 23rd Apr until Sat 28th Apr 1934Mrs. Jack Hylton and her BoysPlus, Eddie Pola's BBC success' America Calling'.
Mon 30th Apr until Sat 5th May 1934Beauty On ParadeScintillating new revue with Joey Porter and Henry Lytton Jnr.
Mon 7th May until Sat 12th May 1934The Desert SongMusical, with Ivan Wilmot as the 'Red Shadow'.
Mon 14th May until Sat 19th May 1934This Way PleaseMusical revue, with Nat Mills and Bobbie.
Mon 21st May until Sat 26th May 1934Women of the WorldRevue, starring international star Janice Hart, and 60 artistes.
Mon 28th May until Sat 2nd Jun 1934Step By StepRevue, with Stanford & Taylor, The 3 Rascals & Paul Rupert.
Mon 4th Jun until Sat 9th Jun 1934The Show's The ThingRevue, with Peter Fannan and The Leg Theory Girls.
Mon 11th Jun until Sat 16th Jun 1934Will HayIn a new episode of St. Michael's. Plus, Al & Bob Harvey, Lucille Benstead, and many more. (Will Hay stood in for Louis Armstrong, who was indisposed with a swollen lip.)
Mon 18th Jun until Sat 23rd Jun 1934RazzleSwift, smart and sophisticated revue, with Len Jackson and his Young Ladies.
Mon 25th Jun until Sat 30th Jun 1934Stepping OutComedy revue, with Joe Poynton and a large cast.
Mon 2nd Jul until Sat 7th Jul 1934Une Nuit A Paris (One Night In Paris)French revue, with Hilda Leonard, Alan Bailey and Jack Clifford.
Mon 9th Jul until Sat 14th Jul 1934Howzat'A revue with a theme', starring Scott Sanders, Walter Niblo and Edna Cecil.
Mon 16th Jul until Sat 21st Jul 1934Les PunchinellosWritten, staged and produced by Frank E. Franks.
Mon 23rd Jul until Sat 28th Jul 193411.30 Saturday NightWith Teddy Morris and his Boys, Joe Stein, Our Girls, and more.
Mon 30th Jul until Sat 4th Aug 1934Samples of 1934Comedy, featuring Manny & Roberts.
Mon 6th Aug until Sat 11th Aug 1934Mr. CindersSpecial holiday musical show.
Mon 13th Aug until Sat 18th Aug 1934Alf's ButtonHilarious musical farce, with Jerry Verno.
Mon 20th Aug until Sat 25th Aug 1934Meet Us To-NightNew revue - 'Very swift, extremely smart - and a wee bit saucy.'
Mon 27th Aug until Sat 1st Sep 1934Teddy BrownThe world's greatest xylophonist. Plus, Charlie Higgins, Eddie Windsor, Gaston & Andree, and many others.
Mon 3rd Sep until Sat 8th Sep 1934Beer Is BestUnusual revue, starring ex-Arsenal and England football centre-forward, Harold Walden.
Mon 10th Sep until Sat 15th Sep 1934The Kind Of Show That Father Used To SeeOld time music hall, with Charles Austin, and large cast.
Mon 17th Sep until Sat 22nd Sep 1934Here We Go RoundRevue, starring George Clarke.
Mon 24th Sep until Sat 29th Sep 1934Paris En FeteFrench show, with Sid Field, Jane Ayr and Eddie Leslie.
Mon 1st Oct until Sat 6th Oct 1934See You To-NightRoy Broadhead revue, starring Jennie Howard.
Mon 8th Oct until Sat 13th Oct 1934The Golden West'A rollicking revue of the great open spaces'.
Mon 15th Oct until Sat 20th Oct 1934Ladies NightMusical comedy, with Dulcie Davenport & Jack Williams.
Mon 22nd Oct until Sat 27th Oct 1934Plaisirs de la NuitFrench revue, with Tom Gamble.
Mon 29th Oct until Sat 3rd Nov 1934Sporting LoveMusical comedy, still running at the Gaiety Theatre, London.
Mon 5th Nov until Sat 10th Nov 1934Nice Goings OnMusical farce, with Leslie Henson.
Mon 12th Nov until Sat 17th Nov 1934VarietyWith Hughie Green and his Gang, plus, Six Zio Girls, Kafka Stanley & Mae Four, and many more.
Mon 19th Nov until Sat 24th Nov 1934Albert SandlerThe celebrated violinist. Plus, Six Zio Girls, Tom D. Newell, Vine Moore & Nevard, and others.
Mon 26th Nov until Sat 1st Dec 1934Herschel HenlereThe mirthful music master. Plus, 10 Gordon Ray Girls, The 5 Magnets, and many more.
Mon 3rd Dec until Sat 8th Dec 1934Macari and his Dutch Accordion BandMore variety, with 10 Gordon Ray Girls, Randolph Sutton, Wal Langtry, and others.
Mon 10th Dec until Sat 15th Dec 1934London ScandalsNew revue, featuring Sam Mayo and Stanelli.
Mon 17th Dec until Sat 22nd Dec 1934West End ScandalsStarring Tommy Trinder and Henry Lytton Jnr.
Wed 26th Dec 1934 until Sat 12th Jan 1935AladdinPantomime produced specially for Coventry, once nightly at 7.

Prev year: 1933Showing 1934Next year: 1935

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.

 
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