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
1907 | Old Hippodrome, Hales Street | ||
| Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 7th Jan until Sat 12th Jan 1907 | Herbert Lloyd | The Yankee Diamond King. Plus, Jenny Lynn, Arthur Pearl, Rita Risden, Lady Mansel and Juveniles, and more. | |
| Mon 14th Jan until Sat 19th Jan 1907 | Lukushima Troupe | Japan's premier artiste. Plus, The Ottawas, Bert Shandon, Spessardy's Bears, and many more. | |
| Mon 21st Jan until Sat 26th Jan 1907 | Lew Lake and Company | In farce 'The Bloomsbury Burglars'. Plus, Maxwell & Francis, Rose Ross & Rosser. The Rio Bros., and others. | |
| Mon 28th Jan until Sat 2nd Feb 1907 | Marie Santoi and Her Merry Little Japs | Plus, Tom leo, The Falcons, The Three Amaranths, Three of a Kind, and more. | |
| Mon 4th Feb until Sat 9th Feb 1907 | Sam Mayo | The man with real funny songs. Plus, Scottish Meisters, Donas Trio, The Knick-Knacks, and more. | |
| Mon 11th Feb until Sat 16th Feb 1907 | Moses and Sons | Fred Karno's latest and greatest creation. Plus, Angeline, Victor Travers, Cline & Clarke, Miss Gertie Gitana, and more. | |
| Mon 18th Feb until Sat 23rd Feb 1907 | Szarvasi-Ferencz Troupe | Original Hungarian singers, dancers and acrobats. Plus, Alice Ormonde, Agnes & Arthur Lynch, Fred Earle, and others. | |
| Mon 25th Feb until Sat 2nd Mar 1907 | Maurin's Marvellous Fountain | Plus, The Harvey Boys, Keir & Kempton, James Willard & Co. in comedy sketch 'Did He Deserve It?', and more. | |
| Mon 4th Mar until Sat 9th Mar 1907 | Leoni Clarke | With his 200 royal cats, canaries, rabbits, monkeys, etc. Plus, Athas and Collins, Harry Pleon, Fred Keeton, and many others. | |
| Mon 11th Mar until Sat 16th Mar 1907 | The Great Roland | World's greatest illusionist. Plus, F. V. St. Clair, Sisters Reno, Bonnie Goodwin's Real Apollo Piccaninnies, and much more. | |
| Mon 18th Mar until Sat 23rd Mar 1907 | Mixed Bathing | C. St. John Denton & George Rowland's Co. in the Musical Absurdity. Plus, Clown Zertho, Martin Conway, and many more. | |
| Mon 25th Mar until Sat 30th Mar 1907 | Kelly & Gillette | In 'Fun in a Billiard Room'. Plus, The Four Burnells, The Courtiers, Princess Pauline, and others. | |
| Mon 1st Apr until Sat 6th Apr 1907 | Five Whiteleys | Continental specialty artistes. Plus, Harwood's Juveniles, Brown & Kelly, Rose Lloyd, and more. | |
| Mon 8th Apr until Sat 13th Apr 1907 | Miss Rose Elliott | Plus, Hulo Hodgson & Harry Lowther and Company in farce 'Barmaids', Amy Russell, Arthur Aldridge, and more. | |
| Mon 15th Apr until Sat 20th Apr 1907 | Alf Gibson | The popular quaint comedian. Plus, Walter Emerson, Halter and Ray, Leonette Roberty, and others. | |
| Mon 22nd Apr until Sat 27th Apr 1907 | Arthus Roberts | And Company in farce 'The Importance of being Another Man's Wife'. Plus, Miss Florrie Callimore, and many others. | |
| Mon 29th Apr until Sat 4th May 1907 | Kate Carney | Plus the Lorch Family, Smiosa San, The Fitzroys, Three Sisters Tree, Jack Pleasants, and others. | |
| Mon 6th May until Sat 11th May 1907 | Miss Lily Burnand | Comedienne. Plus, Kitty Traney, Mahatma, Three Seabornes, Ten Dixie Girls, and others. | |
| Mon 13th May until Sat 18th May 1907 | Maud Rochez | And her Monkeys' Music Hall. Plus, Harry Champion, Harry Freeman, and more. | |
| Mon 20th May until Sat 25th May 1907 | The Sylvester Kremo Family | Plus, Royston Keith & Co. in 'All Change Here', and many others. | |
| Mon 27th May until Sat 1st Jun 1907 | Harry Ford | Plus, Arthur Reece, Dave O. Toole, Miss Amy Sullivan, and others. | |
| Mon 3rd Jun until Sat 8th Jun 1907 | A Pair Of Spectacles | By Sydney Grundy, as produced at the Garrick Theatre, London. | |
| Mon 10th Jun until Sat 15th Jun 1907 | The Drummer of the 76th | By the Matthew Brodie Company. Plus, Sisters Geretti, Ernie Mayne, Billy Farrell, and many more. | |
| Mon 17th Jun until Sat 22nd Jun 1907 | Sam Elton | Comedy juggler. Plus, Chas. M. Daly, The Jeranaldo Troupe, and much more. | |
| Mon 24th Jun until Sat 29th Jun 1907 | Ten San-Tan Girls | Vocalists and dancers. Plus, Ford & Barras, Park's Eton Boys, sketch 'A Woman's Revenge', and more. | |
| Mon 1st Jul until Sat 6th Jul 1907 | Davis & Gledhill | Trio of famous roller cyclists. Plus, Fyne & Hurley, Brothers Webb, The Two Lannons, and others. | |
| Mon 8th Jul until Sat 13th Jul 1907 | Foreman & Fannan | The Merry Millionaires. Plus, Bernard & Weston, The Kyasas, Fancourt & Rubie, The Two Bensons, and others. | |
| Mon 15th Jul until Sat 20th Jul 1907 | The Garden of Glitter | Musical comedy extravaganza. Plus, Ingram & Irving, Rudge-Whitworth (society entertainer), Miss Maidie Scott, and more. | |
| Mon 22nd Jul until Sat 27th Jul 1907 | Clark & Hamilton | Premier comedy artistes. Plus, Lumiere's Fairy Grotto, Harvey and Holt, the Five Digby Girls, and others. | |
| Mon 29th Jul until Sat 3rd Aug 1907 | Tarro Miyake | World's Champion Jujitsu, Wrestler. £1,000 to any man who can defeat him - £50 to any man who stands against him for 15 minutes - £20 to any man who stands against him for 10 minutes. £1 per minute for every minute over seven. (On the Tuesday 1st August a man named Joyce, from Leamington, managed to stand against Tarro Miyake for 8min. 45secs.) | |
| Mon 5th Aug until Sat 10th Aug 1907 | The Dayton Family | Acrobatic sketch. Plus, Francini, Ollom & Page, Hanvaar & Lee, the Sivertone Quartette, Marzella's Birds, and others. | |
| Mon 12th Aug until Sat 17th Aug 1907 | Mumming Birds | Music Hall comedy. Plus, Dandy George, Ernest Rees, Tennyson & Wallis, and more. | |
| Mon 19th Aug until Sat 24th Aug 1907 | Mr. Jan Rudenyi in 'The Power of Music' | Musical romance. Plus, Herbert Darnley's Dots, Lionel Vaughan & Co., Harry Lauder, and others. | |
| Mon 26th Aug until Sat 31st Aug 1907 | Miss Dinah Morris & Co. | In original scena 'A Village in Dahomey'. Plus the Royal Tokio Troupe, Karsy's Myriophone, Harry Lauder, and others. | |
| Mon 2nd Sep until Sat 7th Sep 1907 | 14 Black Hussars | World's greatest coloured musical organisation. Plus, The Xentrix Troupe, Nat Clifford, Harry Lauder, and more. | |
| Mon 9th Sep until Sat 14th Sep 1907 | The Unwritten Law | Drama. Plus, The Four Cecilians, Horace Wheatley, Harry Lauder, and others. | |
| Mon 16th Sep until Sat 21st Sep 1907 | All Scotch | Grand juvenile production. Plus, Rose Elliott, Dick's Comedy 5, Denton & Rowlands, and others. | |
| Mon 23rd Sep until Sat 28th Sep 1907 | The Cruise of H.M. S. Victory | Musical comedy. Plus, Le Diablo, Tom Costello, and others. | |
| Mon 30th Sep until Sat 5th Oct 1907 | Living Art Bronzes | Statuary act. Plus, Miss Helen Charles, Manning's Entertainers, and many others. | |
| Mon 7th Oct until Sat 12th Oct 1907 | Miss Ella Shields | America's greatest singer of c**n songs. Plus, the Narrow Brothers, Harry Champion, and more. | |
| Mon 14th Oct until Sat 19th Oct 1907 | The Ten Zerbins | Musical speciality artistes. Plus, Miss Evelyn Taylor, The Osranis, Jack and Evelyn, and many others. | |
| Mon 21st Oct until Sat 26th Oct 1907 | Miss Annie Purcell | Vocal comedienne. Plus, The Four Emilions, Performing Bears, Limerick competition, and more. | |
| Mon 28th Oct until Sat 2nd Nov 1907 | Antonio Pierri's Troupe of Wrestlers | Plus, Frank Seeley, The Anartos, and many more. | |
| Mon 4th Nov until Sat 9th Nov 1907 | Dr. Walford Bodie | The famous bloodless surgeon. Plus, The Cage of Death, Twin Brothers Dean, The Two Sparks, Columbia Comedy Trio, and others. | |
| Mon 11th Nov until Sat 16th Nov 1907 | Simms & Simms | Musical comedians. Plus, Garden of Girls, Miss Adelina's and Max Gruber's Elephant, Horse & Pony training show. Plus more. | |
| Mon 18th Nov until Sat 23rd Nov 1907 | Rochez's Ponies & Dogs | Plus, J. W. Rickaby, Datas, The Onlaw Trio, Marie Santoi & Co., and more. | |
| Mon 25th Nov until Sat 30th Nov 1907 | The Phonograph Girl | Musical comedy. Plus Athas & Collins, Cardow's Merry Yachtmen, and more. | |
| Mon 2nd Dec until Sat 7th Dec 1907 | GRAND ANNIVERSARY WEEK | Special Galaxy of Stars, with Mons. Rudinoff, Sinclair & Whiteford, The Famous Jackson Family, the Coloured Meister SIngers, Miss Nellie Wallace, and more. | |
| Mon 9th Dec until Sat 14th Dec 1907 | James Fawn | Popular humorist. Plus, Fred Earle, Drama 'The Light in the Window', and much more. | |
| Mon 16th Dec until Sat 21st Dec 1907 | The Capture of Venus | Musical extravaganza. Plus, The Martialo Trio, the Stavordale Quinette, Cline and Clark, Sam Mayo, and more. | |
| Mon 23rd Dec until Sat 28th Dec 1907 | Dr. Walford Bodie | The famous bloodless surgeon. Plus, Ruby Dahl's Marionettes, Sammy Shields, and others. | |
| Mon 30th Dec 1907 until Sat 4th Jan 1908 | Hospital Week | The Thespian Club presents, 'The Prisoner of Zenda', romantic drama in four acts. | |
Prev year: 1906 Next year: 1908
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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