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.
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1970 | Coventry Theatre, Hales Street | ||
| Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sun 15th Feb 1970 | Syd Lawrence Orchestra | The Glen Miler sound. One night only. | |
| Sun 22nd Feb 1970 | Booker T and the M.G.s | Plus Blue Mink. One night only. | |
| Mon 16th Mar until Fri 20th Mar 1970 | Coventry Gang Show 70 | Coventry Scouts Annual Gang Show. | |
| Thu 26th Mar until Sat 30th May 1970 | 1970 Spring Show | Starring Harry Secombe, with Norman Vaughan, The New Faces, Peter Maxwell, and many others. | |
| Sun 5th Apr 1970 | Gene Pitney | Supported by Badfinger and Clodagh Rodgers! One night only. | |
| Sun 19th Apr 1970 | Mantovani and his Orchestra | One night only. | |
| Sun 3rd May 1970 | Syd Lawrence Orchestra | The Glen Miller Sound. One night only. | |
| Sun 24th May 1970 | Victor Borge | Danish Pianist-Comedian. An evening of Music and Mirth. | |
| Mon 1st Jun until Sat 13th Jun 1970 | D'Oyly Carte Opera | Different Opera each night. | |
| Sun 14th Jun until Sat 4th Jul 1970 | Where Eagles Dare | 70mm Wide-Screen Movie Show with full Stereophonic Sound. | |
| Sun 5th Jul until Sat 1st Aug 1970 | Ben Hur | 70mm Wide-Screen Movie Show with full Stereophonic Sound. | |
| Sun 2nd Aug until Sat 5th Sep 1970 | Dr. Zhivago | 70mm Wide-Screen Movie Show with full Stereophonic Sound. | |
| Sun 6th Sep until Sat 26th Sep 1970 | Where Eagles Dare | 70mm Wide-Screen Movie Show with full Stereophonic Sound. | |
| Tue 29th Sep until Sat 28th Nov 1970 | Black and White Minstrel Show | For the season. New Production to the Midlands. | |
| Sun 22nd Nov 1970 | The Beach Boys | One night only. | |
| Fri 4th Dec until Sat 12th Dec 1970 | The Sound Of Music | By The Coventry Amateur Operatic Society. | |
| Thu 17th Dec 1970 until Sat 20th Feb 1971 | Tommy Cooper's Christmas Party | Fabulous Comedy and Family Entertainment. For 10 weeks, Evenings only. | |
| Sat 26th Dec 1970 until Sat 6th Feb 1971 | Aladdin | Pantomime, starring Ted Rogers, with Yvonne Marsh. 2pm Matinees only. | |
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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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