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
1981 | Apollo Theatre, Hales Street | ||
Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|
Sat 24th Jan 1981 | Hazel O'Connor | Part of her "Breaking Glass" tour. One night only. | |
Tue 10th Feb until Sat 14th Feb 1981 | English National Opera North | The Merry Widow and La Boheme. | |
Fri 27th Feb 1981 | Showaddywaddy | One night only. | |
Wed 4th Mar 1981 | The Stranglers | Part of their "MenInBlack" tour. One night only. | ![]() |
Tue 17th Mar until Sat 21st Mar 1981 | Coventry Scout's Gang Show | Huge cast of Scouts and Leaders, including the 13th Coventry Scout Band. | |
Tue 24th Mar until Sat 28th Mar 1981 | Welsh National Opera | Different Opera each night. | |
Sun 29th Mar 1981 | The Spinners | One night only. | |
Thu 2nd Apr 1981 | Charley Pride | One night only. | |
Fri 3rd Apr 1981 | Max Boyce | One night only. | |
Mon 6th Apr until Sat 11th Apr 1981 | Once a Catholic | Mary O'Mally's comedy of sex and religion. (Not suitable for children!) | |
Mon 13th Apr until Sat 18th Apr 1981 | Oh! Calcutta | Avant-garde, risque theatrical revue. The Good Friday performance (17th) was banned due to objections from "the church" about nudity on a religious day. | |
Sat 25th Apr 1981 | Leo Sayer | One night only. | |
Mon 27th Apr until Sat 2nd May 1981 | Sadlers Wells Royal Ballet | Different Ballet each night. | |
Mon 4th May until Sat 9th May 1981 | Ipi-Tombi | Award winning African musical. | |
Sun 10th May 1981 | Freddie Starr Extravaganza | One night only. | |
Tue 12th May 1981 | Girlschool | One night only. | |
Sat 16th May 1981 | Mike Harding | One night only. | |
Tue 19th May until Sat 23rd May 1981 | Welsh National Opera | The Marriage of Figaro and La Traviata. | |
Tue 26th May 1981 | Manhattan Transfer | One night only. | |
Wed 3rd Jun 1981 | Rita Coolidge | One night only. | |
Sat 20th Jun 1981 | Fred Wedlock and Friends | "The Oldest Swinger in Town". | |
Fri 26th Jun 1981 | Teardrop Explodes | One night only. | |
Sun 28th Jun 1981 | The Kinks | One night only. | |
Sun 9th Aug 1981 | Barbara Dickson | One night only. | |
Sat 29th Aug 1981 | Siouxsie and the Banshees | One night only. | |
Sun 6th Sep 1981 | The Desperados | One night only. | |
Tue 15th Sep 1981 | David Essex | One night only. | |
Wed 16th Sep 1981 | Bobby Bare | With guests Ronnie Prophet, Vernon Oxford, Melba Montgomery and American Expression. | |
Fri 18th Sep and Sat 19th Sep 1981 | The Shadows | Two nights. | |
Wed 30th Sep 1981 | Siouxsie & The Banshees | One night only. | |
Mon 12th Oct 1981 | Showaddywaddy | One night only. | |
Thu 15th Oct 1981 | Hawkwind | Supported by Mama's Boys. | |
Fri 16th Oct 1981 | Donovan | One night only. | |
Sat 17th Oct 1981 | Sad Cafe | One night only. | |
Mon 19th Oct 1981 | Sheena Easton | One night only. | |
Wed 21st Oct 1981 | That'll Be The Day | On the movie screen. | |
Thu 22nd Oct 1981 | George Shearing | With Mel Torme. | |
Fri 23rd Oct 1981 | Jack Jones | One night only. | |
Sat 24th Oct 1981 | Joan Armatrading | One night only. | |
Sat 24th Oct 1981 | The Song Remains The Same | Led Zeppelin. On the movie screen. | |
Fri 30th Oct until Sat 21st Nov 1981 | Hans Anderson | Large production musical, starring and directed by Tommy Steele. | |
Tue 24th Nov 1981 | Human League | One night only. | |
Thu 26th Nov until Sat 28th Nov 1981 | Rowan Atkinson | Tickets £4.50, £5.50, £6.50 | |
Mon 30th Nov 1981 | The Cure | Supported by And Also The Trees, and Lydia Lunch & 13.13. | |
Mon 7th Dec 1981 | The Nolans | One night only. | |
Tue 8th Dec 1981 | Thin Lizzy | Part of their "Renegade" tour. Supported by Sweet Savage. | |
Fri 18th Dec 1981 until Sat 30th Jan 1982 | Cannon and Ball Christmas Show | Also featuring Zee & Co, Aiden J Harvey, The Brian Rogers Dancers, Roger de Courcey, and many others. (***Need to check end date***) |
Prev year: 1980Showing 1981Next year: 1982
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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