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.

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1976	Coventry Theatre, Hales Street
Date(s)	Show	Notes	Images
Sun 1st Feb 1976	Syd Lawrence Orchestra	One night only.
Sun 15th Feb 1976	Margot Fonteyn	An evening of Ballet.
Sun 22nd Feb 1976	Slim Whitman	One night only.
Tue 9th Mar until Sat 13th Mar 1976	Coventry Scouts' 1976 Gang Show	With a huge cast of Scouts and Leaders.
Sun 14th Mar 1976	Massed Military Bands Tattoo	One night only.
Mon 15th Mar until Sat 20th Mar 1976	Pyjama Tops	Featuring Bob Grant, Derek Roy and Joyce Blair.
Fri 19th Mar until Sat 8th May 1976	1976 Spring Show	Starring Des O'Connor, with The Reflections, Lennie Bennett, The New Dollys and Sam's Set.
Sun 4th Apr 1976	The Million Airs Concert Orchestra	One night only. With guest Anne Shelton.
Sun 25th Apr 1976	Marty Robbins	One night only.
Sun 2nd May 1976	The Sensational Alex Harvey Band	Supported by Pat Travers. One night only.
Sun 9th May 1976	Leo Sayer	One night only.
Tue 11th May until Sat 15th May 1976	The Danny La Rue Show	With Toni Palmer, David Ellen, Dawson Chance and Wayne King.
Sun 16th May 1976	The Bernstein Mass	One night only.
Mon 24th May until Sat 29th May 1976	Hansel & Gretel	Family musical. (All week except Friday 28th. Theatre closed for the summer season from the 31st May.)
Thu 27th May and Fri 28th May 1976	Elton John	Part of his "Louder than Concorde (but not quite as pretty)" tour. Two nights.	Image(s) courtesy of Paul Wilkinson
Sun 26th Sep 1976	Don Williams	One night only. With special guest Jeanne Pruett.
Thu 7th Oct 1976	Fairport Convention	One night only.
Tue 12th Oct until Sat 16th Oct 1976	Tommy Steele Anniversary Show	Variety.
Sun 17th Oct 1976	Max Boyce	Comedian. One night only.
Sun 24th Oct 1976	Syd Lawrence Orchestra	One night only.
Thu 4th Nov 1976	Hinge & Bracket	Comedy drag duo. One night only.
Sat 6th Nov 1976	The New Seekers & The Wurzels	One night only.
Sun 7th Nov 1976	Tangerine Dream	One night only.
Tue 9th Nov 1976	Thin Lizzy	Supported by Clover. One night only.
Wed 10th Nov and Thu 11th Nov 1976	Cliff Richard	Two nights.
Fri 12th Nov 1976	David Essex	One night only.
Sat 13th Nov 1976	Tammy Wynette	One night only.
Mon 22nd Nov until Sat 27th Nov 1976	Camelot	By the Coventry Amateur Operatic Society.
Tue 23rd Nov until Sat 27th Nov 1976	Snow White	Mornings and Matinees only.
Sun 28th Nov 1976	Freddie Starr	One night only. With special guests Guys & Dolls.
Tue 30th Nov 1976	Margot Fonteyn	A Gala evening of Ballet, with David Wall and special guests.
Wed 1st Dec 1976	The Pasadena Roof Orchestra.	One night only.
Sun 5th Dec 1976	Steeleye Span	One night only.
Mon 6th Dec 1976	Victor Borge	One night only.
Thu 9th Dec 1976	Hawkwind	One night only.	Image(s) courtesy of John Packer
Sat 11th Dec 1976	Steve Hillage	One night only.
Tue 21st Dec 1976 until Sat 26th Feb 1977	Queen Danniella	Christmas Pantomime Extravaganza starring Danny La Rue.

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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.