THE COVENTRY HIPPODROME, Coventry, UK
Built 1937
Demolished 2002
Seating 2136
Replacing the Old Hippodrome Theatte next door.
A rather dull looking building that replaced a very delightful Victorian theatre, also called The Hippodrome, next door. The new theatre opened the very next day after the old one closed.
The theatre presented the biggest and most spectacular pantomimes outside London and the Palladium.
It's panto's would run for 2 months and then for the following 3 or 4 years would appear in some of the UKs top theatres like Bristol, Manchester and Edinburgh.
Between its panto's the year was filled with the top variety acts from around the UK, New York and Hollywood.
Films were also shown for limited special runs as the theatre could set up a huge Cinemascope screen bigger than any purpose built cinema in the area.
Bt the 1950s it was attracting the cream of the pop acts that were dominating the British charts and was always included on the tour of names like The Supremes, Buddy Holly etc.
In 1955 it was renamed The Coventry Theatre and such companies as D'Oyle Carte, Sadlers Wells Royal ballet saw the theatre as its main home in the provinces. Every big musical, either before or immediately after a West End run was certain to play Coventry.
In 1967 the theatre was taken over by EMI and began to stage spectacular shows by Sir Bernard Delfont. These were Las Vegas style shows that could only really be seen in London at the the Palladium or the Talk Of The Town.
The theatre was know as 'The Show Place Of The Midlands' and played host to Cilla Black , The Beatles, The Who, Frank Ifield, Tommy Steele, Danny La Rue, Shirley Bassey, all when at the top of their fame.
Sadly, at another theatre not too far away, plans were under way to present a rival to the Coventry Theatres success. The owners of the Birmingham Hippodrome invested a lot of money in renovating their theatre to play host to big shows and names.
It didn't take long for shows to dry up for Coventry and suddenly Birmingham was the number one stop.
By 1975 the Coventry Theatre had become an Apollo Theatre and was renamed after its new owners. Its presentations were that of most other theatres, staging tours of musicals, plays and a few one night concerts.
From 1986 the theatre became a bingo hall owned by Gala, the last ever live performance was a concert by Barbra Dickson and that is how it stayed until 1995 when bingo finally gave up too.
It was left to rot away slowly until the local council purchased it in 2000 and demolished it in 2002.
Updated On: 3/30/09 at 09:12 AM
