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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1928 | Old Hippodrome, Hales Street | ||
Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|
Mon 2nd Jan until Sat 7th Jan 1928 | Aladdin | Pantomime, featuring Collin and Seum, Full London Chorus, and much more. | |
Mon 9th Jan until Sat 14th Jan 1928 | Dream Birds | Musical comedy revue, featuring Joe Morrison and his Band, Harold Walden, Maisie Terriss, and others. | |
Mon 16th Jan until Sat 21st Jan 1928 | Hot-Ice | All-star revue, with Duggie Ascot, Renee Ascot, Christine Roy, and many others. | |
Mon 23rd Jan until Sat 28th Jan 1928 | Sidelines | Comedy revue, starring Jimmy James, Beatrice Betts, Vernon Drake, and others. | |
Mon 30th Jan until Sat 4th Feb 1928 | Hullo There! | Star revue, with Jack Gallagher, Eva MacDonald, and many more. | |
Mon 6th Feb until Sat 11th Feb 1928 | Spice of Life | Musical burlesque, with Fred Miller, Queenie May, and others. | |
Mon 13th Feb until Sat 18th Feb 1928 | Samson | The strongest man on earth, plus strong men of Coventry, competition. | |
Mon 20th Feb until Sat 25th Feb 1928 | Steady Trade | Laughter show, featuring Mark Denison, Albert Edwards, and many others. | |
Mon 27th Feb until Sat 3rd Mar 1928 | In Clover | Star cast, including Bob Beatty and a large cast. | |
Mon 5th Mar until Sat 10th Mar 1928 | Bon Voyage | Comedy revue, with Leslie Crowther, Arthur Cannon, and many more. | |
Mon 12th Mar until Sat 17th Mar 1928 | The Laugh Mixture | Starring George Norton, The Pom Poms, Lynn Wright, and many more. | |
Mon 19th Mar until Sat 24th Mar 1928 | The Rum Runners | Musical cabaret, featuring George Mayfield, Anita Jeans, Evelyn Taylor, and more. | |
Mon 26th Mar until Sat 31st Mar 1928 | Laughin' Gas | Cast includes, Tom Cable and Dot Carr, Daw and Mavis, and many others. | |
Mon 2nd Apr until Sat 7th Apr 1928 | Ting-A-Ling | Revue, starring Leo Fields and Frank Bass, Hilda Ray's 10 Wonder Girls, and more. | |
Mon 9th Apr until Sat 14th Apr 1928 | Yours Truly | Up-to-date revue, featuring Jack Clifford and a large cast. | |
Mon 16th Apr until Sat 21st Apr 1928 | Pop In and see Mystery Manor | Starring Jimmy Jewel, Mona Marsh, and many more. | |
Mon 23rd Apr until Sat 28th Apr 1928 | Killing Time | Musical mixture, featuring Randolph Sutton and large cast. | |
Mon 30th Apr until Sat 5th May 1928 | Safety First | Revue, including Walter Amner, The Pitt Girls, the Famous Busby Band, and more. | |
Mon 7th May until Sat 12th May 1928 | Happy and Snappy | Revue, starring Tom Dixon and large cast. | |
Mon 14th May until Sat 19th May 1928 | H.M.V. | His Master's Voice, including Herbert Ray and his Band, Arthur Lewis, Will Sellers, Arthur Forbes, and many others. | |
Mon 21st May until Sat 26th May 1928 | Miss 1928 | Comedy revue, starring Fred Walker and many more. | |
Mon 28th May until Sat 2nd Jun 1928 | Hullo! Cabaret | A modern revue, starring Billy Russell, and many others. | |
Mon 4th Jun until Sat 9th Jun 1928 | Family Affairs | Domestic comedy revue, starring Paul Thomson, Sadie Forster, and many more. | |
Mon 11th Jun until Sat 16th Jun 1928 | Bonjour Paris | Comedy revue, starring Frankland Grey and an all-star cast. | |
Mon 18th Jun until Sat 23rd Jun 1928 | Home Comforts | Novelty musical and comedy, with Fred Morgan and large cast. | |
Mon 25th Jun until Sat 30th Jun 1928 | Growing Up ! | Renowned juvenile revue with 30 star artistes. | |
Mon 2nd Jul until Sat 7th Jul 1928 | The Show World | Bright up-to-date revue, with Charlie Higgins, Jane Moore, Alice Pollard, and others. | |
Mon 9th Jul until Sat 14th Jul 1928 | Hi Diddle Diddle | All-star revue, with Reg Adey, Hayes and Jayes, and many more. | |
Mon 16th Jul until Sat 21st Jul 1928 | Best Wishes | All-star cast revue, including Billy Kray, Carrie Cole, The Radio Five, and more. | |
Mon 23rd Jul until Sat 28th Jul 1928 | Going Strong | Up-to-date revue with Albert Bruno and many more. | |
Mon 30th Jul until Sat 4th Aug 1928 | Here's To You | Star revue, with Bud Flanagan & Chesney Allen, Aleta Turner, and many others. | |
Mon 6th Aug until Sat 11th Aug 1928 | Burlesques of 1928 | Starring Jack Mayo, Morris and O'Dwyer, and many others. | |
Mon 13th Aug until Sat 18th Aug 1928 | See For Yourself | Comedy, starring Percy Johnson, The Nebraska Five, and star company. | |
Mon 20th Aug until Sat 25th Aug 1928 | Help Yourself | Revusical, musical comedy, with Barry Barnes, Len Martin, and many others. | |
Mon 27th Aug until Sat 1st Sep 1928 | The Goods of 1928 | Novelty revue, with Jack Cromo, Eddie Walker, Dorothy Brett, and others. | |
Mon 3rd Sep until Sat 8th Sep 1928 | Forty Winks | Musical show, featuring Kathleen West, Hurst and Forrest, George Betton, and more. | |
Mon 10th Sep until Sat 15th Sep 1928 | Back Your Fancy | Musical comedy revue, starring Jack Buckland and Dorothy Derry. | |
Mon 17th Sep until Sat 22nd Sep 1928 | The Red Lamp | Musical comedy, starring Wal Langtry and large cast. | |
Mon 24th Sep until Sat 29th Sep 1928 | On Parade | Musical-revusical burlesque, with George Clayton, Jack Burke, and many more. | |
Mon 1st Oct until Sat 6th Oct 1928 | The Grand Giggle | Musical extravaganza, starring Jack Clifford and 34 others. | |
Mon 8th Oct until Sat 13th Oct 1928 | Fine Fare | Song, dance and story show, with Harry Russell and large cast. | |
Mon 15th Oct until Sat 20th Oct 1928 | Artists & Models | Musical comedy fantasy, with Johnny McGregor & Tommy Hood, and many more. | |
Mon 22nd Oct until Sat 27th Oct 1928 | Love Dreams | Musical comedy road show, starring Bob Beatty and an all-star cast. | |
Mon 29th Oct until Sat 3rd Nov 1928 | Irish Follies | Starring Arthur Lucan, Kitty McShane and many more. | |
Mon 5th Nov until Sat 10th Nov 1928 | Boys Will Be Boys | Revue, starring Douglas Wakefield, the Prince Twins, and many others. | |
Mon 12th Nov until Sat 17th Nov 1928 | Irish Aristocracy | Song and dance comedy, including Joe O'Gorman and O'Gorman brothers. | |
Mon 19th Nov until Sat 24th Nov 1928 | Alibi | Detective play from Agatha Christie's story. | |
Mon 26th Nov until Sat 1st Dec 1928 | Something New | Novelty entertainment, including the Famous Dixie Minstrels, and many more. | |
Mon 3rd Dec until Sat 8th Dec 1928 | Orders is Orders | Cast includes, Gus Elton, Joe Baker, Fai Robina, and many others. | |
Mon 10th Dec until Sat 15th Dec 1928 | The Blue Saraphan | Cabaret show, with large London cast. | |
Mon 17th Dec until Sat 22nd Dec 1928 | The Novelty Show of 1928 | Starring Reg Heaton, The Sixteen Renee-Rogan GIrls, and much more. | |
Mon 24th Dec until Sat 29th Dec 1928 | Round the World | Star cast, including Dan Young, Arthur Kingsley, and many others. | |
Mon 31st Dec 1928 until Sat 5th Jan 1929 | Frolics of Paris | French revue, featuring Len Jackson, Roxana & Olga, and many more. |
Prev year: 1927Showing 1928Next year: 1929
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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