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 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 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
1889 | Temporary Circus building, Pool Meadow | ||
| Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 11th Feb until Sat 16th Feb 1889 | Boswell's Circus | The Great Elka Troupe of Acrobatic Gladiators. Will Laurene, Triple Horizontal Bars. Mr. J. C. Boswell as the Wounded Soldier. Will Gom Z, the Musical, Talking Clown. Joe Cashmore on the High Stilts. Miss Catley, Mddle. Louise & Mdlle. Martha on the Slack Wire. Little Rudolph, Walter Brewer & Mr. Eggie Madigan on Horseback. On Friday 15th, a Grand Amateur Horse Jumping Contest. | |
| Mon 18th Feb until Sat 23rd Feb 1889 | Boswell's Circus | Culeen, the Celebrated Jockey. Fontainbleau with her Performing Dogs. English Harvest Home and Grand Steeplechases. On Friday 22nd, a Great Horse Jumping Contest. | |
| Mon 25th Feb until Sat 2nd Mar 1889 | Boswell's Circus | The Marvellous Jasons, Greatest Gymnasts on Earth. Little Le Barr, the Talking Clown. Sisters Reynolds, Equilibrists and Jugglers. Culeen the Bounding Jockey. Performing Mules, Barney and Jerrey. Sketch, The Bear and Sentinel. An Episode of the Crimean War. | |
| Mon 4th Mar until Sat 16th Mar 1889 | Boswell's Circus | Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper. Friday 15th set apart for the Benefit of the Juvenile Society of the Nottingham Order of Oddfellows. | |
| Mon 18th Mar until Sat 23rd Mar 1889 | Boswell's Circus | Mr. Powell Anthony, England's Great Jockey Rider. Fernandez and St. Leo, Gymnasts and Funny Clowns. Mdlle. Estella, Juggler on the Cord Elastique. Young Henry, the Dashing Boy Equestrian. Mr. J. C. Boswell as the Wounded Soldier. Last week of Miss Nellie Reid. On Friday 22nd, Half-Mile Grand Trotting Match. | |
| Mon 25th Mar until Sat 30th Mar 1889 | Boswell's Circus | Carnival on the Ice, or, A Night in St. Petersburg, with the Val Troupe of Skaters. On Thursday & Friday, 28th & 29th, Great Amateur Bicycle Races over half a mile. | |
| Mon 1st Apr until Sat 6th Apr 1889 | Boswell's Circus | Dick Turpin's Ride to York, or the Death of Bonny Black Bess. Plus Trapeze Artistes, the Brothers Aldean, and Gymnasts and Funny Clowns. | |
Prev year: 1888 Next year: 1890
1884 1887 1888 1889 1890 1891 1892 1893 1894 1895 1896 1897 1898 1899 1900 1901 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 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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