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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1933 | Old Hippodrome, Hales Street | ||
Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|
Mon 2nd Jan until Sat 7th Jan 1933 | Hold My Hand | Musical comedy, with Phil Phillips and Billy Tasker. | |
Mon 9th Jan until Sat 14th Jan 1933 | Restez La Nuit | French revue starring Tom Gamble. | |
Mon 16th Jan until Sat 21st Jan 1933 | Cinderella | Christmas pantomime starring Randolph Sutton as 'Dandini'. | |
Mon 23rd Jan until Sat 28th Jan 1933 | Don Rico and his Gipsy Girls Band | Plus Dorrie Dene, Charles Hayes, and many more. | |
Mon 30th Jan until Sat 4th Feb 1933 | The Arcadians | By the Coventry Amateur Operatic Society. | |
Mon 6th Feb until Sat 11th Feb 1933 | Happy Days | Featuring Lucille Benstead. Plus, Tex McLeod, the Three Rascals, Terry Wilson, and many others. | |
Mon 13th Feb until Sat 18th Feb 1933 | Will Hay & Co. | In an episode of St. Michael's. Plus, Lalla Dodd, Manny and Roberts, and more. | |
Mon 20th Feb until Sat 25th Feb 1933 | Les Folies de Paris | French revue, plus variety with Leslie & Cohan, Eddie Windsor, and many more. | |
Mon 27th Feb until Sat 4th Mar 1933 | More Happy Days | Variety, with Edwin Lawrence, Jean Kennedy, Fred Lindsay & Co., and many others. | |
Mon 6th Mar until Sat 11th Mar 1933 | The Revue of the Moment | Featuring Sid Field, 3 Australian Boys, Jan and Marice, and more. | |
Mon 13th Mar until Sat 18th Mar 1933 | By George | Starring George Clarke and a large cast. | |
Mon 20th Mar until Sat 25th Mar 1933 | Coventry 2519 Calling! | Colossal array of Radio talent, plus Jack Stocks, Haig and Escoe, and many others. | |
Mon 27th Mar until Sat 1st Apr 1933 | The Maid of the Mountains | Musical comedy, as played at Daly's Theatre, London. | |
Mon 3rd Apr until Sat 8th Apr 1933 | Mirth & Music | Featuring Syd Seymour and his band of Mad Hatters. | |
Mon 10th Apr until Sat 15th Apr 1933 | All For Pleasure | Starring Jimmy James, Karina the Wonder Dancer, and many more. | |
Mon 17th Apr until Sat 22nd Apr 1933 | Younkman and his famous Czardas Band | Plus, Anna Rogers, Olive Gilbert, Red Fred, The Two Joys, and more. | |
Mon 24th Apr until Sat 29th Apr 1933 | Birds of the Night | Second edition of the show, featuring Janice Hart and her Cuban Knights of Music. | |
Mon 1st May until Sat 6th May 1933 | Big Variety & Big Revue | 6 Star Acts, plus 'Sitting In The Sun' revue. | |
Mon 8th May until Sat 13th May 1933 | Sugar and Spice | Huge cast, starring Jack Clifford and many more. | |
Mon 15th May until Sat 20th May 1933 | Real Life | With Jennie Howard, Joey Porter. | |
Mon 22nd May until Sat 27th May 1933 | Two Hours With You | Featuring Dick Tubb, direct from the Lyceum, London. | |
Mon 29th May until Sat 3rd Jun 1933 | Back To Nature | Comedy and colour, featuring Johnnie McGregor, Eric Randolph, and many others. | |
Mon 5th Jun until Sat 10th Jun 1933 | Chuckles of 1933 | Revue, starring Tommy Lorne, and many other artistes. | |
Mon 12th Jun until Sat 17th Jun 1933 | This Is The Life | Revusical musical comedy, with Billy Kray and an all-star cast. | |
Mon 19th Jun until Sat 24th Jun 1933 | Paris By Night | Comedy revue, starring Phil Strickland. | |
Mon 26th Jun until Sat 1st Jul 1933 | London Palladium Crazy Show | With a crazy gang, presented in real London Palladium settings. | |
Mon 3rd Jul until Sat 8th Jul 1933 | Count Berni Vici and his Royal Embassy Band | Plus, Ford & Aldous, the Smeddle Bros., Bobby (Uke) Henshaw, Fred Sanborn, and more. | |
Mon 10th Jul until Sat 15th Jul 1933 | Bobbie Hind and his Famous Band | Plus, George Betton, Betty and Buddy, Stanford and Taylor, and many more. | |
Mon 17th Jul until Sat 22nd Jul 1933 | Miss 1933 | Comedy revue, including Sam Eccles, Anne Day, and many others. | |
Mon 24th Jul until Sat 29th Jul 1933 | Paris On Parade | With all-star cast, including Joe Poynton, George Wolkowsky & Esme Grande, and more. | |
Mon 31st Jul until Sat 5th Aug 1933 | Parisian Follies | Revue, including Josie Bellis, the Capaldi Brothers, and many more. | |
Mon 7th Aug until Sat 12th Aug 1933 | Georgesco and his distinguished Hungarian Orchestra | Plus, the Rego Twins, Conrad's Wonderful Pigeons, Tomio and Val, and much more. | |
Mon 14th Aug until Sat 19th Aug 1933 | Robert Naylor & Josie Fearson | Plus, Short and Dalziel, Tommy Trinder, Charlie Jones, Victor Thomas, and others. | |
Mon 21st Aug until Sat 26th Aug 1933 | Albert Sandler | With his £2,500 violin. Plus, Billy Rey and Partner, Nosmo King, Leslie Strange, and more. | |
Mon 28th Aug until Sat 2nd Sep 1933 | Hello Beautiful | Revue featuring Tom Moss, with over 50 artistes. | |
Mon 4th Sep until Sat 9th Sep 1933 | Alfredo and his Gypsy Band | Plus, The Kirks, Billy Kray, Edwin Styles, and many others. | |
Mon 11th Sep until Sat 16th Sep 1933 | Murray the Escapologist | International Week, also including Lee Don, Frank Randle & Bill, Omar, Sisters St. John, and many more. | |
Mon 18th Sep until Sat 23rd Sep 1933 | Variety Vanities | 'The greatest road show of 1933', with Arthur White, Four K Foleys, the 7 Elliotts, and more. | |
Mon 25th Sep until Sat 30th Sep 1933 | All You Wish Yourself | Starring Tom Gamble and 35 others. | |
Mon 2nd Oct until Sat 7th Oct 1933 | Once in a Blue Moon | Starring Jenny Howard, Scott Sanders, and many more. | |
Mon 9th Oct until Sat 14th Oct 1933 | Tommy Reilly & Billy Comfort | Plus, Beryl Beresford, Ernie Leno, 16 Drury Lane Babes, The Shamvas, and many others. | |
Mon 16th Oct until Sat 21st Oct 1933 | Lilac Time | Musical play, already played over 4,000 nights in London. | |
Mon 23rd Oct until Sat 28th Oct 1933 | Herschel Henlere | 'The mirthful music master', plus the Southern Sisters, 6 Zio Girls, and many others. | |
Sun 29th Oct 1933 | The Famous Hippodrome (BBC) Orchestra | Second Annual Concert, in aid of the British Legion. | |
Mon 30th Oct until Sat 4th Nov 1933 | I'm Telling You | Cabaret and revue, featuring Elsie Prince and George Doonan. | |
Mon 6th Nov until Sat 11th Nov 1933 | The Dubarry | The actual London production of the musical play. | |
Mon 13th Nov until Sat 18th Nov 1933 | 1,001 Marvels | Jack Taylor's French revue, with 60 artistes. | |
Mon 20th Nov until Sat 25th Nov 1933 | Bitter Sweet | An operetta in 3 acts by Noel Coward. | |
Mon 27th Nov until Sat 2nd Dec 1933 | En Voila Du Joli | William Henshall comedy play. | |
Mon 4th Dec until Sat 9th Dec 1933 | Jack Hilton with his Boys | Last appearance in England before a long continental tour. | |
Mon 11th Dec until Sat 16th Dec 1933 | The New Show | All-star company, including Wilkie Bard, Florence Smithson, Harry Champion, Fred Barnes, and more. | |
Mon 18th Dec until Sat 23rd Dec 1933 | Pages From Life | Comedy revue, with Gus Elton, Ray Zack and Terry Kendall. | |
Tue 26th Dec 1933 until Sat 6th Jan 1934 | Robinson Crusoe | Christmas pantomime, with Milly Jillson, Billy Matchett, Reg Dingle, and many more. |
Prev year: 1932Showing 1933Next year: 1934
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Also of interest might be A short history of Coventry's Theatres and Cinemas, by Bill Birch.
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