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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1930 | Old Hippodrome, Hales Street | ||
Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|
Mon 6th Jan until Sat 11th Jan 1930 | All Right On The Western Front | Comedy revue inspecting the human and funny side of war, starring Tom Gamble. | |
Mon 13th Jan until Sat 18th Jan 1930 | The Show Of The Year | Cast includes Ken Douglas, Whitmore and Legarde, and many others. | |
Mon 20th Jan until Sat 25th Jan 1930 | Bostock's Royal Italian Circus | Featuring elephants, zebras, horses, ponies, Dongs, monkeys, apes, gorillas, etc. | |
Mon 27th Jan until Sat 1st Feb 1930 | Painted Dolls | With Fred Marsh, Harry Lynch and many others. | |
Mon 3rd Feb until Sat 8th Feb 1930 | Billy Bennett | 'Almost a gentleman'. Plus, Toots and Partner, Maurice Lester and Joe Cohan, and many more. | |
Mon 10th Feb until Sat 15th Feb 1930 | Something New | Minstrel revue, featuring Carl Otto, and others. | |
Mon 17th Feb until Sat 22nd Feb 1930 | Tres Bon | Featuring Billy Kray, Myrtle Grove, and many more. | |
Mon 24th Feb until Sat 1st Mar 1930 | Up's-A-Daisy | Comedy, with Billy Caryll, Hilda Mundy, and others. | |
Mon 3rd Mar until Sat 8th Mar 1930 | Pleasures Of 1930 | Starring Duggie Ascot and many others. | |
Mon 10th Mar until Sat 15th Mar 1930 | The Joy Boat | Novel revue, with Mark Dennison, and many more. | |
Mon 17th Mar until Sat 22nd Mar 1930 | Clowns In Clover | From the Adelphi Theatre, London, starring Joan Nestor, Leslie Vernon, and many more. | |
Mon 24th Mar until Sat 29th Mar 1930 | Paris 1930 | Musical extravaganza, with 8 Canadian Lumberjacks, Arthur Lucan and Kitty McShane, and much more. | |
Mon 31st Mar until Sat 5th Apr 1930 | Speed & Sparkle | Musical, with Fred E. Rayne, Florence and Clifton, May Royal, and many more. | |
Mon 7th Apr until Sat 12th Apr 1930 | Tune In | (The Television Show), with Gaston & Andree, Jackson Owen, Jack Mayer, and many others. | |
Mon 14th Apr until Sat 19th Apr 1930 | One Good Thing After Another | Revue, starring Walter Niblo, Ruth Beaumont, and many more. | |
Mon 21st Apr until Sat 26th Apr 1930 | Laugh, Town, Laugh | Holiday attraction, with Phil Leno, Key and Keyworth, Maggie Dickinson, and others. | |
Mon 28th Apr until Sat 3rd May 1930 | The League of Neighbours | Comedy revue, featuring Albert Burdon, and full company. | |
Mon 5th May until Sat 10th May 1930 | Larks | Revue, featuring Dave Willis and Mamie Soutter. | |
Mon 12th May until Sat 17th May 1930 | The Merry Whirl | Vaudeville, featuring Alfredo and his Band. | |
Mon 19th May until Sat 24th May 1930 | Pontoon, Ltd. | Comedy burlesque, starring Arthur White. | |
Mon 26th May until Sat 31st May 1930 | The Mirth Of A Nation | Musical extravaganza, with McGregor & Hood. | |
Mon 2nd Jun until Sat 7th Jun 1930 | Musical Moments | London super revue, with Jack Fields, Hazel Glenn, and more. | |
Mon 9th Jun until Sat 14th Jun 1930 | Ripples | Comedy show, with Gus Chevalier, Irene O'Dare, and full London company. | |
Mon 16th Jun until Sat 21st Jun 1930 | A Show Superlative | Pioneer Road Show, , featuring Rupert Ingalese and his Flunkeys, the Seven Royal Hindustans, and many more. | |
Mon 23rd Jun until Sat 28th Jun 1930 | The Happy Ramblers | Musical comedy with all-star cast, including Edna Latonne and Walter Bishop. | |
Mon 30th Jun until Sat 5th Jul 1930 | The Dug-Out Melody | War comedy revue told in song and story, starring Joe Poynton. | |
Mon 7th Jul until Sat 12th Jul 1930 | The Novelty Box | With star London Company, plus performing ponies. | |
Mon 14th Jul until Sat 19th Jul 1930 | Ernie Mayne | Variety show, plus Jack Payne, Phil and Phlora, Victoria Carmen, and others. | |
Mon 21st Jul until Sat 26th Jul 1930 | The Mirth Diggers | Featuring Joey Porter and Joe Lewis. | |
Mon 28th Jul until Sat 2nd Aug 1930 | Linga-Sing | World famous Hindoo [sic] sorcerer. Plus, the Kiraku Brothers, Jack Wynne and Company, and many more. | |
Mon 4th Aug until Sat 9th Aug 1930 | Why Go To Paris? | Revue, starring Queenie May, Billy Childs, Jack Gallagher, and many others. | |
Mon 11th Aug until Sat 16th Aug 1930 | Sherry Cocktail | Comedy musical revue, with Dan Brothers & Sherry. | |
Mon 18th Aug until Sat 23rd Aug 1930 | 4 Harmony Kings | With Johnny Walker and Mascot, STan Stafford, Zetta Mor, and a strong cast. | |
Mon 25th Aug until Sat 30th Aug 1930 | Good Night | Comedy revue, with Bud Flanagan & Chesney Allen, Aleta Turner, and many more. | |
Mon 1st Sep until Sat 6th Sep 1930 | This Year of Grace | Charles Cochran's revue direct from the London Pavilion. | |
Mon 8th Sep until Sat 13th Sep 1930 | Grand Variety Programme | Including, Bert Errol, Miss Physical Culture, Masked Bathing Competition, and more. | |
Mon 15th Sep until Sat 20th Sep 1930 | The Mirth Parade | Parisian novelty revue, featuring Fred Morgan. | |
Mon 22nd Sep until Sat 27th Sep 1930 | Rhythm | With Lieut. John Fletcher and his Famous Band, plus powerful company of variety stars. | |
Mon 29th Sep until Sat 4th Oct 1930 | Horace Goldin | The royal illusionist, plus vaudeville company. | |
Mon 6th Oct until Sat 11th Oct 1930 | Willy Pantzer and his Ten Comedians | Comprising six of the greatest midgets in the world. | |
Mon 13th Oct until Sat 18th Oct 1930 | The Merry Side of Life | Musical revue, including Ted Cowley, Will Hatton, and many others. | |
Mon 20th Oct until Sat 25th Oct 1930 | The Singing Clown | Featuring Tom Moss (the English Al Jolson), the Four Welsh Pipers, and much more. | |
Mon 27th Oct until Sat 1st Nov 1930 | Miss Ella Shields | Direct from her world tour, supported by vaudeville programme. | |
Mon 3rd Nov until Sat 8th Nov 1930 | What Price The Navy | Revue featuring Hal Jones. | |
Mon 10th Nov until Sat 15th Nov 1930 | Finnigan's Follies | Musical burlesque, featuring famous comedians, the O'Gorman Brothers. | |
Mon 17th Nov until Sat 22nd Nov 1930 | Olsen's Performing Sea Lions | Plus full star variety programme. | |
Mon 24th Nov until Sat 29th Nov 1930 | Step Inside | Comedy, with Joe Poynton and Hylda Baker, and others. | |
Mon 1st Dec until Sat 6th Dec 1930 | Gertie Gitana | 'Everybody's favourite', with star variety company. | |
Mon 8th Dec until Sat 13th Dec 1930 | A Military Pickle | Musical burlesque, featuring George Norton, Lynn Wright, and full London company. | |
Mon 15th Dec until Sat 20th Dec 1930 | The Act Superb | Variety, with Edgar Benyon, the Carrie Copeland Trio, Arthur Haynes, Damsel and Boy, Delhi and Black, The Aucklands, and more. | |
Mon 22nd Dec until Sat 27th Dec 1930 | Wide Awake | Musical comedy, including Billy Percy, Barnes and Rich, Peggy O'Dare, and many more. | |
Mon 29th Dec 1930 until Sat 3rd Jan 1931 | His Journey's End | Starring Robb Wilton. Plus The Three Eddies, and first class supporting company. |
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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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