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Hippodrome / Coventry Theatre / Apollo show archive

An 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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1975

Coventry Theatre, Hales Street

Date(s)ShowNotesImages
Sun 12th Jan 1975ShowaddywaddyOne night only.
Sun 26th Jan 1975Royal Marines SpectacularOne night only.
Sun 2nd Feb 1975HawkwindOne night only.
Sun 16th Feb 1975Bill AndersonOne night only.
Sun 23rd Feb 1975Chuck BerryOne night only.
Tue 4th Mar until Sat 8th Mar 1975Coventry Scouts' 1975 Gang ShowHuge cast of Scouts and Leaders.
Thu 13th Mar until Sat 10th May 19751975 Spring ShowStarring Peters & Lee, Billy Dainty, Rod Hull & Emu, and many more.
Sun 16th Mar 1975Ralph McTellOne night only.
Sun 23rd Mar 1975Viennese Gala NightCompere Ian Wallace.
Sun 27th Apr 1975Syd Lawrence OrchestraOne night only.
Fri 16th May 1975Bay City RollersOne night only.
Mon 19th May until Sat 24th May 1975English National OperaDifferent Opera each night.
Sun 25th May until Sat 31st May 1975That's EntertainmentMovie - U-rated.
Mon 2nd Jun until Sat 7th Jun 1975The Dancing YearsStarring John Hanson.
Sun 8th Jun 1975Tammy WynetteOne night only.
Wed 11th Jun 1975Special Film Presentation about Jimi HendrixX-rated. Plus "We Have Come For Your Daughters", also X-rated.
Thu 12th Jun 1975Gimme Shelter - Rolling Stones Movie.Was due to be a show by Donovan, but he pulled out due to exhaustion. One night only.
Sat 14th Jun 1975Dionne WarwickOne night only.
Mon 16th Jun until Sat 21st Jun 1975Five Finger ExerciseStarring Hywel Bennett, John Paul, Patricia Lawrence and Jeff Rawle.
Thu 26th Jun until Sat 28th Jun 1975Hungarian Gypsy Dance CompanyThree nights.
Mon 30th Jun until Sat 5th Jul 1975Alfie DarlingX-rated movie, starring Joan Collins.
Mon 7th Jul until Sat 12th Jul 1975Love StoryMovie, starring Ali MacGraw and Ryan O'Neal.
Sun 13th Jul until Sat 19th Jul 1975That's EntertainmentMovie - U-rated.
Sun 20th Jul until Sat 26th Jul 1975Murder on the Orient ExpressMovie - evenings. Matinee - The Railway Children.
Sun 27th Jul until Sat 2nd Aug 1975The Lady Sings The BluesX-rated movie, starring Diana Ross.
Sun 3rd Aug until Sat 9th Aug 1975Never Too Young To RockU-rated movie, starring Mud, The Rubettes and The Glitter Band.
Sun 10th Aug 1975Twins of EvilX-rated movie. One night only.
Mon 11th Aug and Tue 12th Aug 1975Song of NorwayU-rated movie.
Wed 13th Aug and Thu 14th Aug 1975My Fair Ladyu-rated movie.
Fri 15th Aug and Sat 16th Aug 1975Hello DollyU-rated movie.
Sun 17th Aug until Sat 23rd Aug 1975GodspellU-rated movie.
Sun 24th Aug until Sat 30th Aug 1975ZuluMovie, starring Michael Caine.
Sun 31st Aug until Sat 6th Sep 1975CabaretX-rated movie, starring Liza Minelli.
Sun 7th Sep 1975ShowaddywaddyOne night only.
Sun 7th Sep until Sat 13th Sep 1975Jesus Christ SuperstarA-rated movie.
Mon 15th Sep until Sat 20th Sep 1975Love Thy NeighbourLive stage show, starring Jack Smethurst, Rudolph Walker, Nina Baden-Semper and Kate Williams
Thu 25th Sep until Tue 21st Oct 1975Cilla Black Birthday ShowVariety show. No performances on the 6th and 7th October, due to Cilla losing her baby at 5 months pregnant. The show continued from the 8th with various guest stars, beginning with Ronnie Corbett and Moira Anderson. 10th & 11th Jimmy Tarbuck.
Sun 28th Sep 1975David EssexOne night only.
Sun 12th Oct 1975Fairport ConventionOne night only.
Wed 15th Oct until Sat 18th Oct 1975Birthday ShowContinuing with Val Doonican.
Sun 19th Oct 1975Steeleye SpanOne night only.
Wed 22nd Oct until Sat 22nd Nov 1975Cilla Black Birthday ShowThe welcome return of Cilla after recovering from losing her baby. (No performances on Mondays.)
Sun 26th Oct 1975Jack JonesOne night only.
Sun 2nd Nov 1975SparksOne night only.
Sun 9th Nov 1975George Hamilton IVOne night only.
Sun 16th Nov 1975QueenSupported by Mr. Big. One night only.
Sun 23rd Nov 1975Marching with the Grenadier GuardsOne night only.
Mon 24th Nov until Sat 29th Nov 1975Boeing-BoeingComedy, starring Richard O'Sullivan, Sally Thomsett and Yootha Joyce.
Mon 1st Dec until Sat 6th Dec 1975Christmas CarolCharles Dickens. (Not Friday 5th.)
Fri 5th Dec 1975SupertrampSupported by Joan Armatrading. One night only.
Mon 8th Dec until Sat 13th Dec 1975Hello DollyBy the Coventry Amateur Operatic Society.
Sun 14th Dec 1975The Greatest Swing Band in the WorldOne night only.
Mon 15th Dec until Sat 20th Dec 1975The Wombles Christmas ShowChildren's musical.
Fri 26th Dec 1975 until Sat 6th Mar 1976Black and White Minstrel ShowFor the season. Featuring Lenny Henry and guests artistes The Monarchs.

Prev year: 1974   Next year: 1976

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 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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