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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1972 | Coventry Theatre, Hales Street | ||
Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|
Sun 30th Jan 1972 | The Ken Dodd Laughter Show | One night only. | |
Sun 27th Feb 1972 | Show was cancelled due to his illness. | ||
Tue 14th Mar until Sat 18th Mar 1972 | Coventry Scouts' 1972 Gang Show | Cast of many Scouts & Leaders. | |
Thu 23rd Mar until Sat 13th May 1972 | 1972 Spring Show | For the season, starring Norman Wisdom, Freddie Starr, Mrs. Mills, Keith Harris, and many others. | |
Sun 26th Mar 1972 | Sacha Distel | Supported by Olivia Newton John. One night only. | |
Sun 2nd Apr 1972 | Slade | Plus Ben E. King, and The Methods. One night only. | |
Sun 9th Apr 1972 | Buddy Greco | One night only. | |
Sun 16th Apr 1972 | Tony Bennett | Last appearance of current tour. One night only. | |
Sun 23rd Apr 1972 | Cilla Black | One night only. | |
Sun 7th May 1972 | Jerry Lee Lewis | One night only. | |
Mon 15th May until Sat 27th May 1972 | Steptoe & Son | Movie, starring Wilfred Brambell and Harry H. Corbett. | |
Sun 21st May 1972 | Dick Emery | With Eve Boswell. One night only. | |
Mon 29th May until Sat 3rd Jun 1972 | London Festival Ballet | Different Ballet each night. | |
Mon 5th Jun until Sat 17th Jun 1972 | Mary Queen of Scots | Movie, starring Vanessa Redgrave and Glenda Jackson. | |
Sun 18th Jun 1972 | Syd Lawrence Orchestra | One night only. | |
Mon 19th Jun until Sat 24th Jun 1972 | The Boy Friend | Ken Russell play, starring Twiggy. | |
Mon 26th Jun until Sat 1st Jul 1972 | Frenzy | Alfred Hitchcock movie. (X rated.) | |
Mon 3rd Jul until Sat 8th Jul 1972 | Sitting Target | Starring Oliver Read and Edward Woodward. (X rated.) | |
Mon 10th Jul until Sat 15th Jul 1972 | 2001: A Space Odyssey | Stanley Kubrick movie. | |
Mon 17th Jul until Sat 22nd Jul 1972 | Skyjacked | Movie, starring Charlton Heston. | |
Mon 24th Jul until Sat 29th Jul 1972 | Up The Front | Movie, starring Frankie Howerd and Zsa Zsa Gabor. | |
Mon 31st Jul until Sat 5th Aug 1972 | The Wizard of Oz | Movie, starring Judy Garland. | |
Mon 7th Aug until Sat 12th Aug 1972 | Gone With The Wind | Clark Gable movie. | |
Mon 14th Aug until Sat 19th Aug 1972 | Mutiny On The Buses | Movie, starring Reg Varney, Stephen Lewis, Doris Hare, Bob Grant and Anna Karen. | |
Sun 20th Aug 1972 | Indian Concert | Starring Mohammed Rafi. | |
Mon 21st Aug until Sat 26th Aug 1972 | Henry VIII and his Six Wives | Movie, starring Keith Michell, Donald Pleasance, Charlotte Rampling and Jane Asher. | |
Mon 28th Aug until Sat 9th Sep 1972 | Fritz the Cat | Movie. (X rated.) | |
Mon 11th Sep until Sat 16th Sep 1972 | Shaft's Big Score | Movie. (X rated.) | |
Sun 17th Sep 1972 | Deep Purple | One night only. | |
Mon 18th Sep until Sat 23rd Sep 1972 | Joe Kidd | Clint Eastwood movie. | |
Thu 28th Sep until Sat 25th Nov 1972 | 1972 Birthday Show | Starring Danny La Rue in a Super Spectacular. | |
Sun 22nd Oct 1972 | Charlie Williams | With Steven Smith & Rather. One night only. | |
Sun 29th Oct 1972 | Anita Harris, Norman Vaughan and Peter Goodwright | Cancer Research Charity Concert. One night only. | |
Sun 12th Nov 1972 | Up Country | Featuring George Hamilton IV and the Stoneman Family. One night only. | |
Fri 1st Dec until Sat 9th Dec 1972 | Fiddler on The Roof | By The Coventry Amateur Operatic Society. (Theatre closed next week for Pantomime rehearsals.) | |
Wed 20th Dec 1972 until Sat 3rd Mar 1973 | Aladdin | Pantomime, starring Mike & Bernie Winters, with Ivor Emmanuel, Wyn Calvin, Yvonne Marsh and The Ashtons. |
Prev year: 1971Showing 1972Next year: 1973
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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