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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1973 | Coventry Theatre, Hales Street | ||
Date(s) | Show | Notes | Images |
---|---|---|---|
Sun 28th Jan 1973 | Lovelace Watkins, Rod Hull & Emu and Bobby Crush. | One night only. | |
Sun 4th Feb 1973 | Chris Farlowe, Albert Lee and Carl Palmer. | One night only. | |
Sun 18th Feb 1973 | Syd Lawrence Orchestra | One night only. | |
Sun 25th Feb 1973 | Deep Purple | Supported by Nazareth. One night only. | |
Tue 6th Mar until Sat 10th Mar 1973 | Coventry Scouts' 1973 Gang Show | Cast of many Scouts & Leaders. | |
Sun 11th Mar 1973 | Slim Whitman | One night only. | |
Wed 14th Mar until Sat 12th May 1973 | 1973 Spring Show | For the season, starring Val Doonican, with Dailey & Wayne, Joan Savage, Mike Newman and Des Lane. | |
Sun 18th Mar 1973 | Jack Jones | One night only. | |
Sun 25th Mar 1973 | Elton John | One night only. | |
Sun 1st Apr 1973 | Lulu and Jack Douglas | With Johnny Lambe & Orchestra. One night only. | |
Sat 7th Apr 1973 | Royal Marines Massed Bands | One night only. | |
Sun 13th May 1973 | Music of the Strauss Family | Concert. One night only. | |
Mon 14th May until Sat 19th May 1973 | The Rupert Show | See Rupert Bear and his Friends. | |
Mon 21st May until Sat 26th May 1973 | Where Eagles Dare | Movie, starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood. | |
Sun 27th May 1973 | Gilbert O'Sullivan | One night only. | |
Wed 30th May until Sat 9th Jun 1973 | Grease | New 1950s Rock & Roll Musical, prior to West End opening. | |
Sun 3rd Jun 1973 | David Bowie | "Ziggy Stardust" tour. One night only. | |
Mon 11th Jun until Sat 16th Jun 1973 | Lady Caroline Lamb | Movie, starring Sarah Miles, John Finch and Richard Chamberlain. | |
Mon 18th Jun until Sat 23rd Jun 1973 | Ryan's Daughter | Movie, starring Robert Mitchum. | |
Mon 25th Jun until Sat 30th Jun 1973 | King Boxer | Plus Super Fly - two X-rated movies. | |
Mon 2nd Jul until Sat 7th Jul 1973 | The Wild Bunch | X-rated movie, starring Ernest Borgnine. | |
Mon 9th Jul until Sat 14th Jul 1973 | The Great Caruso | Movie, starring Mario Lanza. | |
Mon 16th Jul until Sat 21st Jul 1973 | Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines | Movie, starring James Fox. | |
Mon 23rd Jul until Sat 28th Jul 1973 | Female Bunch | Plus Sex Life in a Convent - two X-rated movies. | |
Mon 30th Jul until Sat 4th Aug 1973 | Student Nurses | Plus The Seduction of Inga - two X-rated movies. | |
Mon 6th Aug until Sat 25th Aug 1973 | That'll Be The Day | Movie, starring David Essex, with Ringo Starr and Rosemary Leach. | |
Mon 27th Aug until Sat 1st Sep 1973 | Fritz the Cat | Plus Alice's Restaurant - two X-rated movies. | |
Mon 3rd Sep until Sat 8th Sep 1973 | Secrets of a Door-to-Door Salesman | Plus Renate Carol - two X-rated movies. | |
Mon 10th Sep until Sat 15th Sep 1973 | Horror Hospital | Plus The Corpse Grinders - two X-rated movies. | |
Mon 17th Sep until Sat 22nd Sep 1973 | Love Thy Neighbour | Movie, starring Jack Smethurst, Rudolph Walker, Nina Baden-Semper and Kate Williams. | |
Sun 23rd Sep until Sat 29th Sep 1973 | Language of Love | X-rated movie. | |
Fri 5th Oct until Sat 24th Nov 1973 | 1973 Birthday Show | For the season, starring Larry Grayson, with Rod Hull & Emu, and many others. | |
Sun 14th Oct 1973 | Guards Bands Spectacular | One night only. | |
Sun 28th Oct 1973 | Jacques Loussier Trio | One night only. | |
Sun 4th Nov 1973 | Four Tops and Detroit Spinners | One night only. | |
Sun 18th Nov 1973 | Hank Snow and Tompall Glaser | One night only. | |
Thu 29th Nov until Sat 8th Dec 1973 | Charlie Girl | By The Coventry Amateur Operatic Society. (Theatre closed next week for Pantomime rehearsals.) | |
Sun 9th Dec 1973 | Syd Lawrence Orchestra | One night only. | |
Sun 16th Dec 1973 | Jack Jones | One night only. | |
Thu 20th Dec 1973 until Sat 2nd Mar 1974 | Dick Whittington | Pantomime, starring Dick Emery, with Bill Pertwee, Gordon Peters, Josephine Blake, and many others. |
Prev year: 1972Showing 1973Next year: 1974
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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