Hippodrome / Coventry Theatre / Apollo show archive

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

Date(s)	Show	Notes
1965	Coventry Theatre, Hales Street
Sun 7th Mar 1965	Georgie Fame & The Blue Flames	With Elkie Brooks, Chris Farlowe & the Thunderbirds, Zoot Money & the Big Roll Band. One night only.
Mon 8th Mar until Sat 13th Mar 1965	Thanks For The Memory	Music Hall, hosted by Billy Matchett, with Hetty King, Randolph Sutton, Sandy Powell, and many others.
Sun 14th Mar 1965	Roy Orbison	With The Rockin' Berries, Marianne Faithfull, Cliff Bennett & the Rebel Rousers, and others. One night only.
Mon 15th Mar until Sat 20th Mar 1965	The National Theatre	Plays, Hay Fever, The Master Builder.
Sun 21st Mar 1965	Mantovani and his Orchestra	One night only.
Tue 23rd Mar until Sat 27th Mar 1965	Peter Pan	Starring Dawn Adams.
Tue 30th Mar until Sat 3rd Apr 1965	Scout Gang Show	Cast of over 230. The 21st Scout Gang Show to be produced, but the first ever to be held at the Coventry Theatre.
Fri 9th Apr until Sat 29th May 1965	1965 Spring Show	Variety, starring Frankie Vaughan, Des O'Connor, Jimmy Tarbuck, Jack Douglas, Hope & Keen, and many more.
Sun 9th May 1965	The Kinks and The Yardbirds	With Goldie & Gingerbreads. One night only.
Sun 16th May 1965	Gilbert & Sullivan For All	One night only.
Mon 31st May until Sat 5th Jun 1965	The Red Navy	Singers, Dancers and Musicians.
Mon 7th Jun until Sat 19th Jun 1965	Take a Trip	Comedy revue, with Jack Tripp, Kathleen West, and star cast.
Mon 21st Jun until Sat 26th Jun 1965	Ballet Rambert	Different Ballet each night.
Tue 29th Jun until Sat 3rd Jul 1965	Alibi For A judge	Starring Amanda Grinling, John Arnatt and Colin Gordon.
Mon 5th Jul until Sat 10th Jul 1965	Twelfth Night	Shakespeare Comedy. (Theatre closed until 31st July for Summer Vacation.)
Mon 2nd Aug until Sat 7th Aug 1965	Creditors and A Dead Liberty	Starring Patrick Allen, Sarah Lawson and David Collings.
Sun 8th Aug 1965	The Byrds	Supported by Them (featuring Van Morrison), Donovan, Elkie Brooks, Kenny Lynch, Johnny B Great & the Quotations, and others. One night only.
Mon 9th Aug until Sat 14th Aug 1965	The Little Hut	Starring Desmond Carrington and Frank Thornton.
Mon 16th Aug until Sat 21st Aug 1965	The Hasty Heart	Starring James Ellis and Annie Ridler.
Mon 23rd Aug until Sat 28th Aug 1965	Spin of the Wheel	Starring John Gregson and Renee Asherson.
Mon 30th Aug until Sat 4th Sep 1965	The Morning After	Starring Jill Browne and John Alderton.
Mon 6th Sep until Sat 11th Sep 1965	The Winslow Boy	Starring Raymond Francis and Robert Flemyng.
Mon 13th Sep until Sat 18th Sep 1965	Sadler's Wells Opera	Different Opera each night.
Mon 20th Sep until Sat 25th Sep 1965	Royal Ballet	Different Ballet each night.
Mon 27th Sep until Sat 9th Oct 1965	The World and Music of Ivor Novello	Starring John Hanson and Jean Bayless.
Sun 3rd Oct 1965	Gracie Fields	With supporting company. One night only.
Fri 15th Oct until Sat 4th Dec 1965	Birthday Show	Starring The Bachelors, Anne Rodgers, Freddy Davies, Mike Yarwood, and many others.
Sun 24th Oct 1965	Gene Pitney	With Peter & Gordon, Lulu, The Rockin' Berries, The Mike Cotton Sound, The Quiet Five, Syd & Eddie (Little & Large).
Sun 14th Nov 1965	Herman's Hermits	Plus Wayne Fontana, The Fortunes, Billy Fury & the Gamblers, Little Frankie, The Country Gents. One night only.
Sun 28th Nov 1965	Manfred Mann and The Yardbirds	With Paul & Barry Ryan, Inez & Charlie Foxx, The Mark Leeman Five, The T-Bones, and The Scaffold. One night only.
Mon 6th Dec until Sat 11th Dec 1965	The Merry Widow	By the Coventry Amateur Operatic Society. (Theatre closed next week for Pantomime rehearsals.)
Tue 21st Dec 1965 until Sat 12th Mar 1966	Tom Thumb	Pantomime, starring Jimmy Clitheroe, Nat Jackley, Charlie Cairoli, and Hope & Keen.

Prev year: 1964Showing 1965Next year: 1966

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

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Hippodrome / Coventry Theatre / Apollo show archive

1965

Coventry Theatre, Hales Street