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
1909 | Old Hippodrome, Hales Street | ||
| Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mon 4th Jan until Sat 9th Jan 1909 | The Admirable Crichton | Presented by The Thespian Club, a fantasy in four acts, by J. M. Barrie. | |
| Mon 11th Jan until Sat 16th Jan 1909 | Gustave Fasola | Famous Indian Fakir. Plus, Miss Mabel Thorne, H. Leslie Bell, Professor Lux and an episode of 'The Broken Medal'. | |
| Mon 18th Jan until Sat 23rd Jan 1909 | Marie Loftus | World famous singer. Plus, Don and Mabel Keir, Dion Wade, Athos Troupe, and more. | |
| Mon 25th Jan until Sat 30th Jan 1909 | Dolly Elsworthy | Plus, Leslie, Lyn and Willie, the Great Albas, the Tossing Austins, Lily Burnand, and others. | |
| Mon 1st Feb until Sat 6th Feb 1909 | Syd May | Impersonator of popular stars. Plus, Teresa Da Silva, Mdlle. Renee, drama episode 'The Spy', and more. | |
| Mon 8th Feb until Sat 13th Feb 1909 | Le Roy, Talma and Bosco | World's Monarchs of Magic. Plus, George Rae, the Faludy Troupe, Lady Mansel's Juveniles, and others. | |
| Mon 15th Feb until Sat 20th Feb 1909 | Ada Colley | The Australian Nightingale. Plus, Jack Marks, Wyndham and Wyatt, The Renowned Lannons, Leo Dryden, and more. | |
| Mon 22nd Feb until Sat 27th Feb 1909 | Tom Edwards | The huntsman ventriloquist. Plus, Kurkamp, Sanford and Lyons, Mike Cray, and much more. | |
| Mon 1st Mar until Sat 6th Mar 1909 | Barton and Ashley | In farce 'Adam the Second'. Plus, Jennie Johns, Roma and Romani, Haley's Juveniles, and others. | |
| Mon 8th Mar until Sat 13th Mar 1909 | Oswald Williams | Illusionist. Plus, Maud Mortimer, the Artois Brothers, Ernie Mayne, and many others. | |
| Mon 15th Mar until Sat 20th Mar 1909 | Russell Wallett | Plus, Miss May Mars, Adams and Ward, Sinclair & Whiteford, and much more. | |
| Mon 22nd Mar until Sat 27th Mar 1909 | Rogues of the Turf | Great racing episode. Plus, Ferris and May, Rose Elliot, The Three Romas, Jock Whiteford, and others. | |
| Mon 29th Mar until Sat 3rd Apr 1909 | Ella Retford | Comedienne. Plus, Athas and Collins, La Belle Duchesse, the Brothers Obo, and many more. | |
| Mon 5th Apr until Sat 10th Apr 1909 | Stockham London Ladies Orchestra | Plus, Frank Hartley, Duncan and Godfrey, Miss Lilian Lea, and more. | |
| Mon 12th Apr until Sat 17th Apr 1909 | Morris Cronin and his Merry Men | Plus, Nightingale & Stigant, the Twin Andersons, Madie Scott, and others. | |
| Mon 19th Apr until Sat 24th Apr 1909 | The Alexandra Operatic Trio | Plus, Bert Weston, Animal Circus, Bessie Butt, Mysticus, and others. | |
| Mon 26th Apr until Sat 1st May 1909 | Daisy Jerome | The electric spark. Plus, Morran and Cardiff, the Harvey Boys, Kelly and Agnes, and more. | |
| Mon 3rd May until Sat 8th May 1909 | G. H. Elliott | 'The Chocolate Coloured C**n'. Plus, musical comedy 'Difficulties', Clown Zertho and his dogs, Miss Belle Green, and more. | |
| Mon 10th May until Sat 15th May 1909 | Mr. Paul Barnes | Monologist of New York. Plus, Howard and Harris, George Newburn, the Four Vagabonds, Miss Bijou Russell, and others. | |
| Mon 17th May until Sat 22nd May 1909 | John Clempert | Siberian Jailbreaker. Plus, W. E. Gillin, Miss Alice Hollander, Cullen and Carthy, and others. | |
| Mon 24th May until Sat 29th May 1909 | Atlas and Vulcana | With the Sisters Atlas, strong women. Plus, musical sketch 'The Little Colonel', the 5 Sisters Warwick, Dora Lyric, and more. | |
| Mon 31st May until Sat 5th Jun 1909 | Leslie Brothers | Musical comedians. Plus, Charles Mildare, Ted Waite, Elton and Edwin, Green and Wood, and others. | |
| Mon 7th Jun until Sat 12th Jun 1909 | Claude Duval | Play with Fred Ginnett and Wal Pinks. Plus, Walter Emerson, Ridiculous Recco, Barney Armstrong, Spangles and Sawdust, and more. | |
| Mon 14th Jun until Sat 19th Jun 1909 | Tom Hearn | The laziest juggle on Earth. Plus, Charles Norton, Lillie Soutter, Thorpe and Coe, Willette Whitaker, and more. | |
| Mon 21st Jun until Sat 26th Jun 1909 | Consul the Great | In his marvellous delineation or the Darwinian Theory. Plus, Cressie Leonard, Archie Royer, Chummie La Mara, and others. | |
| Mon 28th Jun until Sat 3rd Jul 1909 | Charles T. Aldrich | Plus, J. W. Gallagher, Fred Maitland, Bromley and Fontein, the Famous Cumberlands, and others. | |
| Mon 5th Jul until Sat 10th Jul 1909 | Miss May Moore Duprez | The Jolly Dutch Girl. Plus, Gus Garrick, Muir and Bartlett, Maurin's Marvellous Fountains, the Bouncing Dillons, and more. | |
| Mon 12th Jul until Sat 17th Jul 1909 | Vonetta | Queen of illusionists and lightning. Plus, Alex Kendal, Arthur Aldridge, Aunt Matilda, and others. | |
| Mon 19th Jul until Sat 24th Jul 1909 | Leonard Mortimer | And his full London company in 'The Little Captain'. Plus, Fred Whitworth, Harry Lamore, and others. | |
| Mon 26th Jul until Sat 31st Jul 1909 | Six Brothers Luck | Plus, Joe Archer, the 4 Celestas, Elsie Malpass, the 5 Musical Tritons, and more. | |
| Mon 2nd Aug until Sat 7th Aug 1909 | Ella Shields | Plus, Les Belles Americaines, Irve Hayman and Co., The Columbia Comedy Trio, and others. | |
| Mon 9th Aug until Sat 14th Aug 1909 | The Venetians | Plus, Van Allen, Conway and Leland, Frank Cass, Ben Albert, Chas. Kitts & Rhoda Windrum, and others. | |
| Mon 16th Aug until Sat 21st Aug 1909 | Chas. R. Whittle | Plus, the Lyons Trio, Martin Adeson, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon-Wilde, the Stein-Eretto Family, and more. | |
| Mon 23rd Aug until Sat 28th Aug 1909 | Cornalla and Eddie | Comedy act. Plus, Sandy McNab, The Three Cunards, Wright and Lawson, Harry Tate's No. 1 Company, and more. | |
| Mon 30th Aug until Sat 4th Sep 1909 | Harry Roxbury | Inimitable comedian in latest production 'Sergeant Longfellow'. Plus, Les Piccolinos, the Havanas, Sammy Shields, and others. | |
| Mon 6th Sep until Sat 11th Sep 1909 | Tarro Miyake | Jujitsu wrestler. Plus, The Maltans, Ross and Grayson, The Lyric Quartette, Sealions and Seals, and more. | |
| Mon 13th Sep until Sat 18th Sep 1909 | Rameses | Egyptian Wonder Worker. Plus, Harry Atkinson, Walter Bellonini, Lowenwirth and Cohan, and more. | |
| Mon 20th Sep until Sat 25th Sep 1909 | George Lashwood | The 'Beau Brummel of Variety'. Plus, Zarmo, Sibb and Sibb, Wiggles, and many more. | |
| Mon 27th Sep until Sat 2nd Oct 1909 | A Ride to Town | Dramatic racing episode. Plus, L. W. Harris, the Tally Ho Trio, the Arthur Gallimore Trio, Harry Champion, and others. | |
| Mon 4th Oct until Sat 9th Oct 1909 | Alice Raymond | And her players, in 'A Night in Egypt'. Plus, The Mackweys, Goodfellow and Gregson, CHarles Coborn, and more. | |
| Mon 11th Oct until Sat 16th Oct 1909 | The Dandy Thieves | Musical by Fred Karno's company. Plus, Arthus Gill, the 4 Mayos, Les Voces, Addie Dorina, and others. | |
| Mon 18th Oct until Sat 23rd Oct 1909 | The Orange Girl | Sketch with Dolly Elsworthy as 'Nell Gwyn'. Plus, Hinton and Wooton, Belrose and De Velin, The Martelloni Troupe, and more. | |
| Mon 25th Oct until Sat 30th Oct 1909 | Chanti | Mysterious quick-change act. Plus, Bros. Ford, Haines and Borthwick, Velanches, Jack Pleasants, and others. | |
| Mon 1st Nov until Sat 6th Nov 1909 | Radford & Valentine | Comedy and juggling. Plus, Rosie Lloyd, Lauri and Beatty, Henri Bekker, and many more. | |
| Mon 8th Nov until Sat 13th Nov 1909 | Harry First and Co. | America's greatest Hebrew actor. Plus, Harry Rogerson, Ralph & Nellie Howard, Lily Black, Edward H. Lucas, and others. | |
| Mon 15th Nov until Sat 20th Nov 1909 | Tom Foy and Company | In comedy 'The Yorkshire Lad in London'. Plus, Arabella Allen, Syd Walker, the Three Delaries, Tschernoff, and more. | |
| Mon 22nd Nov until Sat 27th Nov 1909 | Chung Ling Soo | World famous Chinese conjuror. Plus, The Woodwards, Fred Poplar, the Gaudsmidt Bros. and others. | |
| Mon 29th Nov until Sat 4th Dec 1909 | Horace Mills & Company | In comedy 'A Disgrace to the Force'. Plus, Miss Zeta Grey, Ritter and Foster, The Brothers Werds, Annie Purcell, and others. | |
| Mon 6th Dec until Sat 11th Dec 1909 | A Society Woman | Dramatic sketch including realistic fight scene. Plus, Dick Tubb, the Two Anartos, The Five Orlics, Ray Wallace, and more. | |
| Mon 13th Dec until Sat 18th Dec 1909 | L'Incognita | The famous masked singer. Plus, the Austral Trio, Tennyson and Wallis, The 5 Strolling Players, and others. | |
| Mon 20th Dec until Fri 24th Dec 1909 | Gentlemen - The King | Military play. Plus, the Prince Milner Trio, Mabel Sinclair, Jolly Jimmy Walker, the New York Nippers, and more. | |
| Mon 27th Dec 1909 until Sat 1st Jan 1910 | Henriette De Serris | Reproducing famous works of art. Plus, My Fancy, Little Ganty, Tom E. Finglass, The Jackson Family, and more. | |
Prev year: 1908 Next year: 1910
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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